The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designates World Heritage Sites of outstanding universal value to cultural or natural heritage which have been nominated by countries which are signatories to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Cultural heritage consists of monuments (such as architectural works, monumental sculptures, or inscriptions), groups of buildings, and sites (including archaeological sites). Natural features (consisting of physical and biological formations), geological and physiographical formations (including habitats of threatened species of animals and plants), and natural sites which are important from the point of view of science, conservation or natural beauty, are defined as natural heritage. United Arab Emirates accepted the convention on 11 May 2001, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list.
As of 2026, The United Arab Emirates has three World Heritage Sites. The Cultural Sites of Al Ain (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud and Oases Areas) was the first site inscribed in the United Arab Emirates. It is a cultural site. In 2026, the United Arab Emirates most recent site, the Wadi Wurayah, was inscribed for its natural value. The United Arab Emirates has served on the World Heritage Committee once, from 2009 to 2013.
World Heritage Sites UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, and vii through x are natural.
+ Site Image Location (emirate) Year listed Description Cultural Sites of Al Ain (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud and Oases Areas)Emirate of Abu Dhabi20111343; iii, iv, v (cultural)Situated in a desert region, Al Ain has been occupied since the Neolithic period, hosting stone tombs from the 3rd millennium BCE, wells, adobe constructions and one of the oldest examples of the aflaj irrigation system at Bidaa Bint Saud. Faya PalaeolandscapeEmirate of Sharjah20251735; iii, iv (cultural) Wadi WurayahEmirate of Fujairah2026 1724; ix (natural)
Tentative list In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage List are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list. , the United Arab Emirates has listed fifteen properties on its tentative list.
+ Site Image Location (emirate) Year listed UNESCO criteria Description Settlement and Cemetery of Umm an-Nar Island Emirate of Abu Dhabi 2012(cultural)Sir Bu Nair IslandEmirate of Sharjah2012(natural) Khor DubaiEmirate of Dubai2012ii, iii, v (cultural) Ed-Dur SiteEmirate of Umm Al Quwain2012(cultural) Al Bidya MosqueEmirate of Fujairah2012(cultural) Sharjah: the Gate to Trucial StatesEmirate of Sharjah2014v (cultural) Abu Dhabi SabkhaEmirate of Abu Dhabi2018viii (natural) The Cultural Landscape of DhayahEmirate of Ras Al Khaimah2020v (cultural) The pearl trading town of Jazirat Al-HamraEmirate of Ras Al Khaimah2020iii, v (cultural) Trading town of JulfarEmirate of Ras Al Khaimah2020iii, iv, v (cultural) ShimalEmirate of Ras Al Khaimah2020i, ii, iii, iv, v (cultural) Wadi Al Helo: Testimony of Bronze Age Copper ProductionEmirate of Sharjah2023 iii, iv, v (cultural) The Rock Art of the Emirate of SharjahEmirate of Sharjah2023 ii, iii (cultural) Mleiha, Late Pre-Islamic Center of a South-East Arabian KingdomEmirate of Sharjah2023 ii, iii, iv (cultural) Hatta Archaeological Landscape (Emirate of Dubai)Emirate of Dubai2023 iii, v (cultural)
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