Nominating Wadi Rum as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Wadi Rum – To confirm Wadi Rum’s place as a unique natural and cultural attraction in Jordan and the world, preparations are being made to nominate it as a UNESCO World Heritage site. As a first step towards these efforts, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) and the USAID/Jordan Tourism Development Project II this morning to work together to prepare a nomination dossier for Wadi Rum’s  World Heritage listing.

The ASEZA Commissioner for Environment, H.E. Dr. Salim Mughrabi, signed the MoU, along with Mr. Ibrahim Osta, Chief of Part of the USAID/ Jordan Tourism Development Project II. The two organizations have already conducted a preliminary assessment of Wadi Rum’s eligibility as a World Heritage site and will begin work to prepare the dossier immediately in accordance with UNESCO guidelines and have it ready in time for submission in November 2009.

"ASEZA is focusing on increasing investment and tourism and supporting local communities," said H.E. Dr. Mograbi "A World Heritage listing would put Wadi Rum on the international tourism map and thus help increase tourist numbers, boost the local economy and protect the environment through sustainable development." He added, "We are preparing the nomination dossier in cooperation with the local community, who are involved at every stage."

“This is an exciting initiative that will offer Jordan the chance to gain widespread international recognition for another one of its world-class attractions,” said Mr. Osta. “We are happy to be able to support ASEZA in this effort and will draw on international expertise to develop a strong nomination file.”

The USAID/Jordan Tourism Development Project II aims to introduce best practice in site conservation and management, promoting sustainable tourism, and putting Jordan’s tourism on the world’s map, through enhancement of tourism, cultural and natural sites as well as supporting the marketing and outreach of Jordan’s offerings

These efforts are the first steps in getting the attraction onto the World Heritage list. Once the nomination is submitted, a UNESCO committee will assess the site. The process is a lengthy one and it is not guaranteed that Wadi Rum’s nomination will be awarded on its first attempt. However, the nomination will be useful in that if Wadi Rum is not listed the first time, a report will be developed by UNESCO which will highlight the site’s weaknesses in terms of World Heritage listing and this information will be used to guide the development of the site in the right direction.

Wadi Rum’s possible enlistment as a World Heritage site will increase its prominence on an international level, which could lead to an increase in visitor numbers. It will also help improve conservation and restoration of the site through the support of UNESCO, which eventually enhances sustainable tourism and supports the local communities in the area.

Wadi Rum is Jordan’s most spectacular natural attraction and one of the most visited sites in Jordan. It is unique for its red sands and magnificent sandstone mountains and renowned for the warmth and hospitality of the Bedouin who live there.