SHARJAH – In a landmark ceremony at the Mleiha Archaeological Centre, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, formally celebrated the inscription of the Faya archaeological site onto the UNESCO World Heritage List. The event marked international recognition of a location that has fundamentally altered scientific comprehension of early human migration patterns.
The significance of Faya was underscored by the unveiling of a commemorative monument and the presentation of the official inscription certificate by Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Sheikh Dr. Sultan emphasized that this designation transcends regional importance, representing instead a profound contribution to humanity’s collective historical narrative.
Central to Faya’s global value are the extraordinary discoveries made there, including exquisitely crafted stone tools dating back more than 200,000 years. These artifacts have effectively dismantled long-standing assumptions, providing compelling evidence that modern humans inhabited the Arabian Peninsula far earlier than previously documented. ‘The land spoke, and the land does not lie when it speaks through science,’ stated the Ruler, reflecting on the moment researchers realized they were confronting evidence that recalibrates the timeline of human settlement.
Sheikh Dr. Sultan articulated Faya’s role as more than a transit corridor, establishing it as a crucial early homeland where human communities demonstrated remarkable adaptation to arid environments. The site offers a continuous record of human presence, ingenuity, and social organization over hundreds of millennia. He described Faya as ‘living pages of the book of humanity’ that illustrate how early societies transformed environmental challenges into knowledge, cooperation, and sustainable resource management.
Beyond its archaeological importance, the Sharjah Ruler framed heritage preservation as an essential investment in cultural identity and future wisdom. He asserted that protecting sites like Faya safeguards accumulated human experience, providing ‘an open school for generations’ to understand their origins and contextualize their role in contemporary society. This philosophy aligns with Sharjah’s broader cultural vision, where heritage occupies a central position in understanding the region’s social foundations.
The UNESCO recognition solidifies the United Arab Emirates’ growing role in global heritage conservation while highlighting how Arabian Peninsula discoveries are reshaping historical paradigms regarding civilization development through communication networks and adaptive strategies that remain relevant to modern challenges.