Dubai: The UAE National Council of Tourism and Antiquities (NCTA) has called for activating laws in the GCC and region that criminalise antique trading and their illegal transportation.

Speaking at the GCC Antiquities Undersecretaries meeting held in Kuwait, Mohammad Khamis Hareb Al Muhairi, Director General of NCTA, said that antiquities are a cultural inheritance that must be preserved and handed down to future generations.

Al Muhairi stressed that current laws in the GCC are sufficient for the preservation of these antiques, but require activation from relevant bodies to monitor the movement of antiquities across borders and checkpoints.

“Illegal trading or losing antiques is a massive loss to nations, protecting and displaying them on the local and global stage is a national duty,” he added.