The Ministry of Culture in Qatar hosted a meeting bringing together representatives of Arab countries involved in the nomination file of “Sanbuk” (traditional wooden dhow) for inscription on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The meeting took place in Doha, Qatar, on October 5-11, 2024, as part of Qatar's ongoing efforts to promote and preserve its national heritage, in collaboration with ALECSO and the Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science.
This meeting was the culmination of several previous meetings, and prepared for submitting the file to UNESCO on March 31, 2025. It reinforced ALECSO’s role in leading nomination files for inscribing various elements of the Arab intangible cultural heritage.
Addressing the meeting, Dr. Humaid Al-Nofali, Director of Culture at ALECSO, conveyed the greetings of H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of ALECSO, to all participants, and his wishes for the success of the meeting. He emphasized the significant attention that the Director-General grants to intangible cultural heritage, given its vital role in promoting the unique and authentic components of identity worldwide. He stressed the Director-General’s keenness to allocate the needed human and financial resources, launch initiatives, and leverage diplomatic channels to assist countries in preparing their nomination files, based on his awareness of the importance of strengthening the foundations of national identity and protecting cultural specificities.
H.E. Sheikha Najla Al-Thani, Director of Heritage and Identity Department at the Qatari Ministry of Culture, extended her thanks to ALECSO and the Qatar National Commission for their fruitful cooperation to ensure the success of the meeting, and expressed her pride in the rich Arab cultural heritage.
Mr. Ali Al-Marafi, Secretary-General of the Qatar National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, expressed his pride in Qatar’s contributions to the preservation of intangible cultural heritage, particularly through common Arab inscription files, and thanked ALECSO for its support to Arab countries in inscribing national and joint files.
