Page 75 - MINISTRY OF CULTURE PR REPORT - AUGUST 2025

8/21/25, 1:37 PM Union House inscribed on Alecso registry of Arab architectural heritage sites | The National
Union House inscribed on Alecso registry of Arab

architectural heritage sites

Declaration of the Union was signed at the site in 1971

Razmig Bedirian
August 20, 2025

The Union House has been inscribed on the registry of Arab architectural heritage sites, an initiative

by the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation (Alecso).

Built in 1965 and located on Jumeirah Street in Dubai, the structure is a landmark of UAE
history. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed, former Ruler of Dubai, would conduct important meetings at the
house. Most notably, it was where the Declaration of the Union was signed in July 1971, marking the

foundation of the country.

The historic site has since been restored, remaining faithful to its original design, and is now part

of Etihad Museum. It houses artefacts, photographs and documents related to the formation of the
UAE.

The Union House has been among several sites inscribed on the register since Alecso launched the

initiative this month.

The list also includes the Zitouna Mosque in Tunisia, the old city of Miliana in Algeria, the Medina of
Fez in Morocco, Tounen village in Libya’s Ghadames, Mauritania’s Azougui Archaeological Site, Al
Khabra Town and Qishla Fortress in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait Towers, Oman’s Al Hamouda Mosque, the

Barzan Tower and Murwab Archaeological Site in Qatar, the Umayyad Mosque in Syria and Egypt’s Al
Jazira Arts Centre. The list also includes sites in Yemen’s Aden, on the Tigris River in Iraq and in
Palestine, including Old City of Jerusalem, Old City of Hebron and the Great Omari Mosque in Gaza.

The register comes as part of Observatory of Architectural and Urban Heritage in Arab Countries, a
larger initiative by Alecso that aims to support the documenting, monitoring of reconstruction of
heritage sites.

Several cultural figures in the UAE have commented on the significance of the The Union House’s
inscription. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed, chairwoman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and
member of Dubai Council and the Executive Council of Dubai, said on X that it “constitutes a new

chapter in Dubai’s legacy as a city that transcends time and generations, a city of the past, present
and future".

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