Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), reflecting common goals and joint collaboration in the fields of preservation and conservation, and specifically offering training in the conservation of earthen architecture. The agreement was signed by HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General of Department of Culture and Tourism, and Susan MacDonald, Head of Buildings and Sites of the Getty Conservation Institute. 

In many regions of the world, including the UAE, earth has traditionally been used as a construction material to build houses and public buildings. In Al Ain, for example -  home to many UNESCO-inscribed heritage sites - houses, forts and mosques have been built in earth. Although these significant sites have been protected and preserved, earthen structures around the world are unfortunately disappearing due to abandonment, demolition, and replacement with modern materials. To save this important heritage, training is needed in the conservation and restoration of earthen buildings. 

Building on the good conservation practice implemented by Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism on the earthen sites of Al Ain and using the expertise of the Getty Conservation Institute, the main aim of the MoU is to launch an international course on the Conservation of Earthen Architecture in 2018 for the first time in the MENA region for architects, engineers, conservationist, heritage managers, and archaeologists who work with earthen buildings and archaeological sites.

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