Dubai Creek could get World Heritage status

Dubai: The Dubai Executive Council yesterday expressed their support in pushing Dubai Creek as a World Heritage Site of Unesco that will enhance Dubai’s competitiveness as a global tourism, heritage and cultural destination.

Located in the heart of Dubai, the Creek is a natural seawater inlet of the Arabian Gulf with a length of 14 kilometres at a width of between 100-500 metres. The creek divides the city into two parts and has played a major role in the economic development of the region throughout history.

Rashad Bukhash, Director of Architectural Heritage Department at Dubai Municipality, told Gulf News yesterday that the application of registering Dubai Creek was already submitted on January 31, and that by September, experts from Unesco will be visiting the area and cross-checking the submitted information.

The verdict is expected to be announced by June 2014.

“The challenge is not why it is important but to prove that is a World Heritage, and why it is more significant than other creeks in different parts of the world,” he said.

Bukhash pointed out that there are documents to prove that the Creek existed almost 500 years ago and was developed in the early 19th century, and the city of Dubai evolved around it.

“Winning the bid in making Dubai Creek a World Heritage Site will raise the cultural level of Dubai city, and will make it a more appealing bidder for World Expo 2020,” he said.

“Once the Creek is registered, it will bring a lot of tourists to visit the site [as it will be internationally renowned].”

Unesco describes Dubai Creek and its surrounding neighbourhood as an outstanding and universally valuable site where natural, architectural and cultural components create a unique, urban landscape where influences and human interactions from the entire Gulf region mingle into a coherent ensemble preserving both tangible and intangible heritage values.