Archaeology law in the offing

Abu Dhabi, June 13, 2010 (WAM)- The National Council for Tourism and Archaeology (NCTA) has discussed a draft law on protecting the country's archaeological heritage. The law aims regulating the excavation, documentation and protection of the nation's antiquities. Discussions came at a meeting held on Thursday in Dubai and chaired by Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development Abdul Rahman Al-Owais who also chairs the board of directors of NCTA.
Al Owais urged the NCTA members to carefully and thoroughly evaluate the draft law before submitting it to the cabinet for approval.
Director General of NCTA, Mohammed Khamis Al-Muhairi said that once enacted, the law will turn a new leaf in the history of archaeology in the UAE, help pool the efforts and expertise in the different emirates under a single umbrella and give a great boost to the efforts made by the UAE to join World Tourism Organisation, the World Heritage Committee, an affiliate of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). – Emirates News Agency, WAM