Call for joint efforts to preserve cultural heritage

Doha: The importance of collective efforts to preserve cultural heritage in the Arab region was highlighted during a discussion held at the Qatar National Library, yesterday.   

Princess Dana Firas, Unesco’s Global Ambassador and President of Petra National Trust, shed light on the role of everyone in protecting cultural heritage and its link with human rights in a key note lecture, during an event held to mark the Library’s first anniversary.   

Minister of State H E Dr Hamad bin Abdul Aziz Al Kawari; H E Dr Mohamed bin Saleh Al Sada; President of Community Development, Qatar Foundation, Machaille Al Naimi; Executive Director of Qatar National Library, Dr Sohair Wastawy; and several other dignitaries were present at the event. 

Princess Dana in a lecture, ‘Cultural Heritage and its Role in Preserving History, Identity and Cultural Legacy’, highlighted the role that heritage plays in maintaining the identity, history, and cultural legacy of communities in the Arab region. She called for legislation, creating awareness and commitment to protect heritage at national, regional and global level.

“We are blessed in our region with innumerable natural and cultural treasures and an exceptionally rich heritage. All around us today, in this incredible setting, we see, smell and experience the documentary evidence of thousands of years of human history and relations. This stands as tangible evidence of our region’s role as a wellspring of culture and science, an epicenter of connectivity among peoples and a cultural, historic, religious and economic crossroads for thousands of years,” said Princess Dana.

“One challenge that many World Heritage sites face today is badly managed tourism and the over-exploitation of cultural and natural heritage. Tourism has the potential to reach communities long forgotten by mainstream development and business ventures; it can continue to prosper even in the face of financial crises and economic slowdowns; it can provide jobs when most needed, and if harnessed properly it can contribute to conserving nature and preserving historic sites and cultural traditions,” she added. 

Princess Dana is a leading advocate for heritage protection and preservation, and its role in sustainable development, with her work in this area leading to her designation as a Unesco Goodwill Ambassador in 2017. 

Dr Al Kawari talked about the efforts that Qatar has been making to support the preservation of, and access to cultural heritage. He also highlighted the role that cultural heritage plays in Qatar National Vision 2030 and its relationship to national identity in Qatar and human rights.

“Qatar  under the leadership of the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani gives cultural heritage its utmost attention and regards it as a cornerstone of cultural efforts in line with Qatar National Vision 2030. Our cultural institutions, including Qatar National Library and Qatar Museums, are working day and night in cooperation with regional and international organizations to preserve heritage and strengthen its status,” said Dr Al Kawari.