'Places are stories': UAE residents urged to share memories of heritage sites, join conservation initiative

The Ministry of Culture and Youth has launched the ‘Modern Architectural Heritage of the UAE’ initiative.

These are some of the buildings built post-1960s that define UAE’s modern history. To know the stories behind these structures and to engage the public in preserving them, the Ministry of Culture and Youth has launched ‘the Modern Architectural Heritage of the UAE' initiative, where residents can share the fond memories they spent in these communal spaces.

The initiative is part of the Ministry’s efforts to preserve Emirati culture. It also aims to establish an integrated system and a comprehensive national vision based on modern architectural heritage in the country from the 1960s until the present day.

Central to UAE identity

“The initiative - Modern Architectural Heritage of the UAE - explores various facets of urban heritage and its centrality to the UAE’s national identity,” noted Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, Minister of Culture and Youth, adding: “From the notable landmarks to the daily communal spaces that emerged from the 1960s onwards, a significant portion of our history is intertwined, continually fueling innovative thinking and inspiring unconventional ideas in the present day.”

“We are rallying community members, encouraging them to foster a deep sense of pride in our nation's unique architectural identity and actively participate in preservation endeavours,” he underscored.

Urban history

According to the Ministry, the UAE’s modern architectural heritage can be divided into two periods that define socio-economic transformations during the 1960s up to 1990 and post-1990s to the present day.

“Beginning in the 1960s, a period of growth triggered economic development in the UAE’s built environment where large scale urban planning and infrastructure projects embodied aspirations towards modernity.”

The post 1990 urbanism, meanwhile, was characterised by a change in scale, the use of advanced construction techniques and a reliance on materials such as glass and aluminium cladding.