unesco

Khaled al-Anani: the first Arab head of UNESCO

From the Pyramids to the United Nations, Egyptologist Khaled al-Anani's expertise will be invaluable in his new role

Amr Emam 12 October 2025

Lifting the veil on Tunisia's child abuse problem

Two recent UNESCO studies show the social and economic impact of a practice considered normal throughout Tunisia: that of parents inflicting physical and psychological violence against their children

Asmahan Al-Sha’abouni 11 June 2025

The cultural landscape of Al Faw Archaeological Area

Al Faw: A beacon of tolerance on the edge of the Saudi desert

The Kingdom's latest addition to the world's premier heritage sits on an ancient trade route and brought together various faiths, creating a historic treasure trove that has been recognised by UNESCO

Abdullah Al-Rashid 21 September 2024

Saudi Arabia’s ancient village of Al Faw has been named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, making it the eighth in Saudi Arabia to be featured on the list.

SPA

Al Faw becomes Saudi Arabia's eighth UNESCO heritage site

The ancient village dates back to 500BC and served as a major trade hub and urban centre in the Arabian Peninsula that connected other prominent civilisations

Jaber Muhammad Madkhali 05 September 2024

Golestan Palace, a UNESCO Heritage Site in Tehran, Iran

Shutterstock

Iran’s plan to sell historic sites sparks 'monumental' controversy

Proposed auctions for a range of cultural and architectural treasures are being opposed by experts and the public alike. There are fears that the plans could be the first of a wave of privatisations.

Rustum Mahmud 11 June 2023

A baker shows freshly-baked?baguettes at "Armand" bakery in Nice, France, November 28, 2022. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

French Baguette Gains Place on World Cultural Heritage List to Bakers' Delight

The humble baguette, France's staple bread, made it onto the United Nation's cultural heritage list on Wednesday, drawing delighted responses from French bakers and non-bakers alike. Paris-based U…

30 November 2022

FILE - In this undated photo provided by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the Great Barrier Reef near the Whitsunday, Australia, region is viewed from the air. A United Nations-backed mission is recommending that the Great Barrier Reef be added to the list of endangered World Heritage sites, sounding the alarm that without "ambitious, rapid and sustained" climate action the world's largest coral reef is in peril. The warning came in a report published Monday Nov. 28, 2022 following a 10-day mission to the reef last March by officials from UNESCO and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.(Jumbo Aerial Photography/Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority via AP)

UN: Great Barrier Reef Should Be On Heritage ‘Danger’ List

A United Nations-backed mission is recommending that the Great Barrier Reef be added to the list of endangered World Heritage sites, warning that without “ambitious, rapid and sustained” climate…

AP 28 November 2022

FILE PHOTO:Glaciologist Matthias Huss together with members of the Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS) Romain Hugonnet and Andreas Linsbauer climb the Gries glacier during a trip to check measuring equipment in Gries, Switzerland, September 2, 2022. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

Major Glaciers, Including Dolomites and Yosemite, to Disappear by 2050 - UN Report

Some of the world's most famous glaciers, including in the Dolomites in Italy, the Yosemite and Yellowstone parks in the United States and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania will disappear by 2050 due to…

02 November 2022

Castellers de Vilafranca form a human tower called "castell" during a biannual human tower competition in Tarragona, Spain, October 2, 2022. REUTERS/Albert Gea

Catalans Compete to Build the Biggest Human Towers in Spain

Spain's biggest human towers competition took place on Sunday, with some 11,000 spectators packing the bullring in the northeastern city of Tarragona to watch the daring Catalan tradition. Human…

03 October 2022

Governments Grapple with Visibility of Disability

The prevalence of disability is matched by its impact. A staggering one billion people across the globe live with a physical or mental condition that limits their movements, senses, or abilities,…

Luisa Markides 15 July 2022

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A municipal worker fixes a sign in Sharm el-Sheikh, as the Egyptian resort town gets ready to host a US-brokered Gaza peace summit, on October 12, 2025.

Khaled DESOUKI / AFP

Politics

Gaza ceasefire takes off, but expect turbulence ahead

11 October 2025

Al Majalla lays out four key hurdles to clear to ensure the truce sticks this time around

Brian Katulis

US President Donald Trump greets Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas during a summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh on October 13, 2025.

Evan Vucci / AFP

Politics

Can Palestinians trust Donald Trump?

14 October 2025

Only US pressure will ensure that Israel honours the Gaza ceasefire

Omar H. Rahman

Nesma Moharam

Politics

Two years after October 7

06 October 2025

Al Majalla examines the repercussions of Hamas's attack on Israel, which set into motion a series of significant changes and power shifts in the Middle East

Al Majalla - London

Malagasy Colonel Michael Randrianirina, head of the CAPSAT military unit, reads out a statement in front of the presidential palace, where he announces the army is taking power in Antananarivo on October 14, 2025.

Luis TATO / AFP

Politics

Madagascar's military coup is part of a wider African trend

14 October 2025

A rapid chain of events led to the president fleeing for his life following deadly clashes with citizens. But what happened is not uncommon for Africa. Al Majalla explains why.

Sergey Eledinov

Iraqi painter and sculptor Dia al-Azzawi

Culture & Social Affairs

Dia Azzawi’s latest murals mourn the ruin of Arab cities

09 October 2025

Iraqi sculptor's epic wall-mounted installations evoke the destruction of Aleppo and Mosul, displayed in Beirut in the shadow of ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Mohamed abi Samra

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LATEST ISSUE

Khaled al-Anani: the first Arab head of UNESCO

Lifting the veil on Tunisia's child abuse problem

Al Faw: A beacon of tolerance on the edge of the Saudi desert

Al Faw becomes Saudi Arabia's eighth UNESCO heritage site

Iran’s plan to sell historic sites sparks 'monumental' controversy

French Baguette Gains Place on World Cultural Heritage List to Bakers' Delight

UN: Great Barrier Reef Should Be On Heritage ‘Danger’ List

Major Glaciers, Including Dolomites and Yosemite, to Disappear by 2050 - UN Report

Catalans Compete to Build the Biggest Human Towers in Spain

Governments Grapple with Visibility of Disability

Gaza ceasefire takes off, but expect turbulence ahead

Can Palestinians trust Donald Trump?

Two years after October 7

Madagascar's military coup is part of a wider African trend

Dia Azzawi’s latest murals mourn the ruin of Arab cities

OPINIONS

Cultural boycotts: the double standards that expose Western hypocrisy

Iran, two years after October 7

Border clashes recall Pakistan's tricky history with the Taliban

Sharaa in Moscow

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