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Conservation a big challenge: Lootah

DUBAI — Architectural conservation is a big challenge in the modern world and authorities entrusted with preserving architectural heritage worldwide should face this challenge with determination, said Hussain Nasser Lootah, Acting Director-General of the Dubai Municipality, yesterday during the opening ceremony of the second International Conference and Exhibition on Architectural Conservation.

The three-day conference, deliberating on issues concerning architectural conservation, is being held under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Minister of Finance and Industry, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Municipality.

“Through this conference, we express our commitment to achieving quality and innovation in this field. The renewed universal endorsement of heritage protection policies is a vital sign of encouragement to Unesco, which needs such support in order to carry out its efforts to safeguard and promote the heritage left by the common ancestors of humankind,” said Hamed Al Hammami, Unesco Regional Representative in the GCC countries.

Internationally acclaimed experts are taking part in the conference focusing on how to set new trends in architectural conservation while overcoming the challenges it faces in the modern era.

Rashad Bukhash, Director of General Projects Department at the municipality and Chairman of the Conference Organising Committee, said the conference is being held in cooperation with the Unesco, International Council of Museums (ICOM), International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), International Organisation for Conservation of Cultural Heritage (ICCROM), English Heritage and the Arab Towns Organisation.

He added that the conference will feature presentations from 36 countries. An international specialist jury comprising experts from 10 countries had selected the research papers that meet the conference criteria.

Bukhash said the topics being discussed in the conference include policies of architectural conservation, concepts of sustainable development, problems of architectural heritage in the modern environment, formulating strategic objectives for development, strategies for tourism development in historic areas, public participation in heritage conservation programmes and the importance of historic areas in the formation of modern economic and social communities.

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