During the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee held in India, Umm al-Jimal was announced as the seventh Jordanian site to be inscribed at the UNESCO World Heritage List. This list already includes Petra, Quseir Amra, Um er-Rasas, Wadi Rum, Baptism Site, and As-Salt.
After the announcement, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Makram Al-Queisi, stated, “Today we celebrate the inclusion of Umm al-Jimal on the UNESCO World Heritage List, but we also celebrate the strong relationship between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and your esteemed organisation, which has lasted for decades.”
He added, “Umm al-Jimal is the third Nabataean city after Petra and Um er-Rasas, representing the northern expansion of Nabataean rule and demonstrating the Nabataeans’ ability to build a smart, sustainable system despite the scarcity of water, embodying the resilience of the region’s inhabitants from that time until today.”
The inclusion of Umm al-Jimal, according to UNESCO criteria, comes from the exceptional universal value outlined in the Jordanian file submitted in 2022, meeting the requirements of integrity and/or authenticity and having an adequate protection and management system to ensure the site’s preservation. This inclusion is seen as a model of achievement and harmony among national institutions, represented by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Umm al-Jimal Municipality, and the Department of Antiquities.
Al-Queisi, along with the Director of the Department of Antiquities, Dr. Fadi Bal’awi and the Mayor of Umm al-Jimal, Hassan Rahiba, received congratulations from the participating delegations and the organising committee for this historic inscription, which marks only the beginning of Jordan’s diligent efforts to include many Jordanian sites of exceptional universal value and unique human heritage.
