The 17th meeting of the Arab Expert Committee on World Cultural and Natural Heritage kicked off in Kuwait on June 26, 2024. The meeting was organized in collaboration with the Kuwait National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters.
The opening session featured statements by the representatives of the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters, the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage, and the Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (Culture Department).
The meeting reviewed the recommendations and outcomes of the previous (16th) session, and the progress made in implementing them.
The meeting, which was attended by several Arab Ambassadors to UNESCO, reviewed and extensively discussed the Arab nomination files to be examined at the upcoming World Heritage Committee meeting in New Delhi, India, from July 21 to 31, 2024. These files include:
- Qaryat Al-Faw site (Saudi Arabia) : for inscription on the World Heritage List.
- Umm al-Jimal site (Jordan) : for inscription on the World Heritage List.
- Saint Hilarion Monastery (Gaza, Palestine): for inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Based on UNESCO's evaluation reports, participants in the meeting commended the quality of “Qaryat Al-Faw” and “Umm al-Jimal” nomination files, reflecting a commendable improvement in the preparation of Arab nominations, and extended congratulations to Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Dr. Hamid Al-Nofali, Director of the Culture Department, stressed that ALECSO stands ready to mobilize the needed support for the inscription of the Saint Hilarion Monastery in Gaza on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
The meeting was supervised by Dr. Hamid Al-Nofali, Director of the Culture Department, along with Dr. Imed Soula, Expert, and Mr. Abdelhedi Ghemari, Project Coordinator, at the same department.
