Page 14 - Date Palm_EA Book_English

Inscribing the date palm on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Based on the vision of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi in promoting the national heritage of the United Arab Emirates, an announcement was made in 2019 to inscribe the date palm on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The announcement was made at the 14th Session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage, in Bogota, Colombia, from 9–14 December 2019.
The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, in coopera- tion with the Ministry of Culture and Youth, and under the auspic- es of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organi- zation (ALECSO), submitted the nomination file for the date palm to be registered with UNESCO as a joint file in the name of 14 Arab countries: the United Arab Emirates; Bahrain; Egypt; Iraq; Jor- dan; Kuwait; Mauritania; Morocco; Oman; Palestine; Saudi Arabia; Sudan; Tunisia; and Yemen.
As the date palm is found in different environments in these coun- tries and there are many skills associated with it, the UNESCO registration will enhance this cultural diversity and bring these societies closer together in further dialogue. It will also help to preserve these forms of intangible cultural heritage at both a na- tional and international level.
The addition of the date palm to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity will further the cooperation between UNESCO and Arab countries, encouraging further Gulf Region and Arab nominations of elements of com- mon heritage to the global cultural map.