Faya Emirati Fellowship strengthens expertise in Stone Age heritage stewardship
The Sharjah Archaeology Authority has concluded a specialist workshop that deepens scientific knowledge among Emirati researchers and regional professionals dedicated to protecting the Faya Palaeolandscape World Heritage property.
The World Heritage Office at the Sharjah Archaeology Authority has concluded the Faya Stone Age Workshop 2026, a comprehensive programme that has substantially strengthened the scientific knowledge and specialist expertise required to research, protect and manage the Faya Palaeolandscape World Heritage property for generations to come.
The workshop convened 22 carefully selected participants, comprising 18 specialists from the United Arab Emirates alongside four distinguished colleagues from across the region: two from Oman, one from Egypt and one from Jordan. Following initial field training at the Faya site itself, the programme continued with intensive sessions conducted from 5 to 8 October at the Authority’s headquarters in Sharjah.
This initiative forms part of the Emirati Fellowship of the Faya Research Grant Programme, a AED2 million initiative spanning from 2026 to 2028 that represents the World Heritage Office’s commitment to uniting research endeavours, professional development and conservation management. The programme actively supports scientific collaboration, archaeological research and the cultivation of Emirati specialists equipped to contribute meaningfully to Faya’s long-term stewardship and preservation.
Participants engaged with comprehensive training encompassing archaeological evidence interpretation, dating methodologies, palaeoenvironmental analysis, lithic analysis, excavation techniques and rigorous documentation practices. This training illuminated how such scientific methods illuminate human occupation patterns and environmental transformation at Faya whilst informing conservation strategies, site interpretation and sustainable long-term management approaches.
The workshop benefited from the direct involvement of leading Sharjah Archaeology Authority experts, with Dr Ossama Khalil contributing specialised sessions on managing the World Heritage property and Dr Maja Kominko addressing interpretive strategies for the site.
Eisa Yousif, Director-General of the Sharjah Archaeology Authority, observed that World Heritage recognition carries responsibility not merely to protect exceptional places, but to deepen knowledge and transmit it to future generations. He emphasised that the Faya Research Grant Programme and associated workshops unite these objectives, combining international scientific collaboration with meaningful investment in Emirati researchers and emerging regional specialists to establish the knowledge and expertise necessary for enduring research and stewardship.
The programme was led by Dr Knut Bretzke of the University of Jena, a distinguished German archaeologist, whilst Ms Natasha Singh of the University of Tübingen, a respected Canadian specialist, also contributed substantially. Their internationally recognised expertise in Stone Age archaeology, human evolution, prehistoric studies and environmental reconstruction provided participants with access to sophisticated research methodologies whilst maintaining Faya at the centre of the learning experience.
Khuloud Alhouli, Director of the World Heritage Office at the Sharjah Archaeology Authority, characterised the initiative as reflecting a broader philosophical approach to World Heritage stewardship in Sharjah, whereby inscription represents not a conclusion but the commencement of ongoing responsibility to research, protect, understand and communicate a property’s significance. Through the research grant programme, she noted, research and training develop alongside conservation and management, ensuring that emerging knowledge about the Faya Palaeolandscape directly enhances its long-term stewardship.
Source: WAM