• Madinah first Arab city to gain Gold Level in UN’s SDG Cities Initiative

    Madinah, Saudi Arabia -- The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) has recognized Madinah for attaining Gold Level in the SDG Cities Global Initiative, becoming the first Saudi and Arab city, and the third internationally, to receive this recognition of achievement. Al-Madinah Region Development Authority said that the city was...
  • UAE elected Vice Chair of UNESCO’s committee for promotion of cultural diversity

    Abu Dhabi, UAE - The UAE has been elected the Vice Chair of the UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions for 2025. The appointment acknowledges the UAE’s contributions to cultural diversity and its role in fostering a multicultural and civilized tapestry...
  • Saudi Arabia’s Madinah, KAEC, Al-Ahsa join UNESCO global network of learning cities

    RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has announced that the cities of Madinah, King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), and Al-Ahsa in the Kingdom have joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities. With this development, Saudi Arabia now boasts five cities enlisted in the...
  • Egypt forms review team on restoring pyramid after outcry

    Cairo, Egypt - Egypt's antiquities ministry said on Saturday it was setting up a committee to review the restoration of Giza's Menkaure Pyramid after a public outcry over the project. A week ago, the head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri, posted a Facebook video showing workers setting blocks...
  • Sudan war threatens UNESCO World Heritage Site

    The Regional Network for Cultural Rights said it "strongly condemns the incursion by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)", the paramilitary forces of general Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, "on the sites of Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra". RSF forces have been fighting against troops loyal to Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan since...
  • Cairo arts center razed for Old City makeover

    Cairo, Egypt - Nestled in the heart of the historic capital here, a cultural center synonymous with the city's art scene has been razed, the latest heritage site torn down for contentious development projects. Authorities have been aggressively remaking parts of Cairo, a longtime cultural beacon of the Arab world, to...
  • Gaza devastated and ‘largely depopulated’ as war nears 100 days

    GAZA, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES - Bombed-out neighborhoods, mass graves dug in the sand, spreading hunger and disease -- as the bloodiest ever Gaza war nears 100 days, besieged Palestinians have endured ever new horrors. More than three months of relentless Israeli bombardment since the October 7 Hamas attack have taken a...
  • Middle East dish Harees inscribed on UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage

    Abu Dhabi, UAE - The popular traditional food Harees is now inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi announced on Wednesday. Harees is a porridge-like dish that is most often eaten during important family gatherings, such as weddings,...
  • Jordan’s mission to save its ancient olive trees

    Jordan's culture ministry, Gharaibeh's organization is working to add the trees to the UNESCO Intangible World Heritage List, hoping this "will ultimately contribute to preserving them and protecting them". Jordan is working on a plan to engage the public with the trees by placing a QR code on every bottle...
  • UNESCO places Ramadan’s ‘iftar’ in intangible cultural heritage

    Tehran, Iran - The UN cultural agency on Wednesday recognized iftar, the meal that breaks the daytime fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, on its list of intangible cultural heritage. The application for the sociocultural tradition was jointly submitted by Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan to the UN Educational,...
  • Jeddah Program named cultural destination of FIFA Club World Cup

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The Historic Jeddah Program has secured sponsorship rights as the official cultural destination and main supporter of the FIFA Club World Cup Saudi Arabia 2023. This prestigious tournament will be hosted in Jeddah from December 12 to 22, 2023, marking the first time it will be...
  • UAE exhorts UNESCO members to join COP28 ‘climate efforts’

    Paris, France-- The UAE has made a fervent appeal to members of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to join the country and its group of friends to lead climate efforts on the occasion of the UAE hosting COP28 in Expo City Dubai from 30th November to...
  • UAE helps in shaping future of international archiving

    "With the ICA's theme, 'Enriching Knowledge Societies,' we're poised to delve into myriad topics, including the pivotal role of artificial intelligence (AI) in archiving and record-keeping," she adds while expressing eagerness to explore AI's impact on their work and to foster collaborative strategies for the profession's future.
  • Jericho pins tourism hopes on UNESCO listing

    Despite many cultural treasures, there were only 32,535 hotel guests in the Jericho area in the first half of this year.
  • Saudi Arabia’s coffee production exceeds 800 tons annually

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia is among the top 10 countries in the world in coffee consumption, leading the government to adopt various initiatives and programs to foster the beverage's cultivation. The Kingdom currently produces more than 400,000 Arabica coffee trees, yielding over 800 tons annually, from the regions...
  • Saudi Arabia launches program to document football clubs’ chants

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The Saudi Commission launched Wednesday "Saudi Football Trouq", a unique initiative that is dedicated to the documentation of Saudi football club chants. This endeavor, driven by the commission's commitment to preserving the Kingdom's diverse musical and artistic heritage, is carried out in collaboration with the Saudi...
  • Saudi Arabia’s natural reserve makes it to UNESCO heritage list

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve in Saudi Arabia has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming the Kingdom's first UNESCO Natural Heritage Site. The decision was taken during the extended 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh between the 10th...
  • UNESCO adds Djerba in Tunisia to world heritage sites list

    Tunis, Tunisia -- UNESCO announced Monday it was adding the Tunisian resort island of Djerba to its list of World Heritage Sites because of its ancient ruins, whitewashed villages, mosques, churches and synagogues. The United Nations cultural organization took the decision in Saudi Arabia, during its 45th world heritage committee meeting....
  • UNESCO adds 15 new sites to world heritage list during Riyadh session

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The UNESCO World Heritage Committee, during its 45th session held in Riyadh, unveiled fifteen new additions to its World Heritage List, drawing attention from both historical enthusiasts and geopolitical spectators alike. "Tell es-Sultan-Jericho", a prehistoric site near the Palestinian city of Jericho, was inscribed, a move...
  • Palestine’s pre-historic Tell al-Sultan site on world heritage list, says UNESCO

    The United Nations' cultural organization inscribed the "pre-historic site of Tell al-Sultan" located near the occupied West Bank city of Jericho on its World Heritage List, UNESCO said. The decision, which was posted by the organization on X, formerly Twitter, was taken at UNESCO's 45th world heritage committee meeting held...
  • Five-member Israeli delegation makes first open visit to Saudi Arabia

    An Israeli delegation attended a UNESCO meeting in Riyadh, marking the country's first publicly announced visit to Saudi Arabia as speculation grows about a potential normalization of ties. The five-member delegation arrived, an Israeli official told AFP, for the meeting to update UNESCO's world heritage list of cultural and historic...
  • Riyadh to host 45th session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia is hosting the extended 45th session of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee from September 10 to 25 in Riyadh. This session anticipates the participation of 3,000 individuals representing 21 member states of the World Heritage Committee, out of the 194 states that have ratified the...
  • UN urges age restrictions on Artificial Intelligence in schools

    Paris, France - The United Nations called on Thursday for strict rules on the use of AI tools such as viral chatbot ChatGPT in classrooms, including limiting their use to older children. In new guidance for governments, the UN's education body UNESCO warned that public authorities were not ready to deal...
  • Yemen war casts gloom on historic ‘Old Sanaa’

    A UNESCO World Heritage site for nearly four decades, the Old City has been classified as "in danger" since 2015, shortly after Saudi Arabia spearheaded a military intervention.
  • Egypt dig unearths 41-million-year-old whale in desert

    With an estimated length of 2.5 metres (eight feet) and a body mass of approximately 187 kilogrammes (410 pounds), Tutcetus is the smallest species so far found from the basilosaurids, the oldest known whales that lived exclusively in the water. Team leader Hesham Sallam, of the American University in Cairo...
  • Iran’s ancient ‘wind catchers’ beat the heat naturally

    The wind catchers, called badgirs in Persian, are just one of the engineering marvels inhabitants have developed in this ancient city in central Iran -- where temperatures reach well over 40 degrees celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in the summer. And, unlike energy-guzzling air-conditioners, they're cost and carbon-free.
  • Iraq’s marshes along with a way of life are dying

    Even at their center in Chibayish, only a few expanses of the ancient waterways - home to a Marsh Arab culture that goes back millennia - survive, linked by channels that snake through the reeds.
  • Moroccan women shake up world of Gnaoua music

    Originally practiced by enslaved people and dating back at least to the 16th century, Gnaoua has gone from being practiced largely in private gatherings, where therapeutic rituals accompanied the music, to public events such as concerts and festivals.
  • UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture honors winners in Paris

    Paris, France-- The19th UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture was awarded to Kassem Istanbouli, Lebanese actor-director, and Hajer Ben Boubaker, French researcher and sound director, at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on June 26, 2023. The event, organized by the Sharjah Department of Culture in collaboration with UNESCO, celebrated the achievements of...
  • Iraq’s Christians turn to TV to save dying language

    Syriac-speaking communities in Iraq and Syria have declined over the years, owing to decades of conflict driving many to seek homes in safer countries.
  • Women’s role crucial to future tech development

    “As we sit at the crossroads of the very future of humanity as it relates to technology, female influence, and voice matter more than ever. Today we need to ensure that gender parity is guaranteed and not just a target,” she adds, pledging her own full commitment to the vision.
  • AlUla’s Jabal Ikmah listed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register

    AlUla, Saudi Arabia -- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) listed AlUla's Jabal Ikmah in its Memory of the World Register, years after Al-Hijr (Mada’in Salih) archeological site in AlUla governorate became Saudi Arabia’s first World Heritage Site to be inscribed in 2008.The Royal Commission for AlUla...
  • Press freedom under attack everywhere: UN, media

    The rise of disinformation and hate speech threatens truth, while journalists continue to face harassment, intimidation, and imprisonment, highlight UN officials and media outlets.
  • Countries need $97 billion to achieve education targets: UNESCO

    Paris, UAE -- Without $97 billion in extra funding, a range of countries will fail to meet their 2030 national education targets, a new UN report has said, calling for an urgent review of financing. The paper “Can countries afford their national SDG4 benchmarks?” by the Global Education Monitoring (GEM)...
  • Iraq’s ancient treasures blasted by sandstorms linked to climate change

    Iraq, one of the countries worst-hit by climate change, endured a dozen major sandstorms last year that turned the sky orange, brought daily life to a halt and left its people gasping for air. When the storms clear, layers of fine sand cover everything - including the Sumerian ruins of...
  • Jordan’s Mansaf: Rooted in war, symbol of peace

    Mansaf, the kingdom's national dish of lamb cooked in dried yogurt, served with rice and nuts, was inscribed on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage in 2022.
  • UN culture chief vows to help rebuild conflict-hit, heritage-rich Iraq

    Years of war and insurgency have taken a heavy toll on the many Mesopotamian, Islamic and Christian treasures in a country home to six UNESCO World Heritage sites. Iraq is the cradle of civilizations, where writing and the first cities emerged, but decades of unrest have left many priceless cultural...
  • UAE shares view at first G20 Culture Working Group meeting

    ABU DHABI, UAE  - UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth (MCY) participated in the First G20 Culture Working Group (CWG) meeting held under the Indian Presidency. Attended by G20 members, invited countries, and international organizations such as United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the meeting recently took place...
  • UNESCO chief in Iraq to visit war-battered cultural sites

    UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay was to visit reconstruction projects and meet top officials including Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and President Abdel Latif Rachid. Years of war and insurgency have taken a heavy toll on Iraq's many Mesopotamian, Islamic and Christian treasures including six UNESCO World Heritage sites.
  • Despite hurdles, women entrepreneurs thrive in MENA tech sector

    As the governments and private organizations in the region are taking measures to encourage and support women entrepreneurs in the tech industry, their prospects across the setor are improving, and there is a growing sense of optimism that more women will continue to break through the glass ceiling in this...
  • Iraqi cemetery echoes 1400 years of life and death

    For Shiites, who make up the religious majority in Iraq, "being buried near Imam Ali is very important," said the Najaf city historian Hassan Issa al-Hakim.
  • Regulate digital platforms to curb disinformation

    “If the regulatory initiatives are developed in isolation, with each country working in their own corner, they are doomed to fail. Information disruption is by definition a global problem, so our reflections must take place at the global scale,” the top UNESCO official added.
  • Winter rains bring life back to Iraq’s drought-hit marshlands

    The relief of rainfall early this month was welcomed by the UN agency, which noted in a statement that in the Chibayish region "salinity levels decreased" to the point that people and animals could again drink the water.
  • Saudi herders use ‘special language’ to train camel

    The mode of communication, known as Alheda'a, was inscribed last month on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage.
  • UNESCO praises Saudi Arabia for its success in e-education governance

    RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has praised the achievements of Saudi Arabia in e-education governance. In its publication "Guide to measuring information and communication technologies (ICT) in education",  UNESCO said that Saudi Arabia's National E-Learning Center is an example to be followed...
  • UAE embroidery art Al Talli makes it to UNESCO heritage list

    Al Talli features decoration of collars, hems and cuffs of clothes using cotton or silk threads, intertwined with gold and silver threads.
  • UAE’s role in reconstruction of Mosul Heritage: Hope and will win over zealotry and exclusivism

    "The revival of Mosul's heritage will reveal that the only way to live together is by believing in diversity as a mosaic, where each distinct piece is integral to the revelation of the whole, where any missing piece will, in the end, drop all of their shared destiny," adds the...
  • ‘Little Falconers’ showcase Qatar heritage

    Falconry was added to the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage in 2010, in countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
  • ‘Culture is prerequisite for peace in the world’

    A robust cultural and creative sector remains at the heart of the UAE’s growth strategy and to give it a further boost, the UAE has been rallying for the amplification of culture and arts education, she adds, while speaking at the fifth edition of the Paris Peace Forum in Abu...
  • UNESCO says Yellowstone, Kilimanjaro glaciers can vanish by 2050

    The UN warning followed a study of 18,600 glaciers at 50 World Heritage sites -- covering around 66,000 square kilometers (25,000 square miles) -- which found glaciers at a third of the sites were "condemned to disappear".
  • Saudi culture ministry provides training in UNESCO program

    Under its recently announced Experts Program, the Saudi Ministry of Culture has provided an intensive leadership training course for Man and The Biosphere (MAB), a UNESCO program.