Chairman of the Executive Council Resolution No. (23) of 2018 Concerning Additional Competencies of the Department of Culture and Tourism

Article 1 — In the implementation of the provisions of this Resolution, the following ¶

words and phrases shall have the meanings corresponding thereto unless
the context requires otherwise:
Cultural Heritage
Management
: The way of supervising and managing the cultural
heritage by defining, protecting, studying,
documenting, preserving, maintaining, promoting
and using the same sustainably in the present or
the future.

-- 142 of 160 --

142
Cultural
Property
: Movable and immovable properties of importance
for the cultural heritage of the Emirate and its
Citizens, such as the architectural, artistic,
historical, religious and mundane monuments,
archaeological sites and landmarks, remnants of
the natural, geological and paleontological history,
artworks, manuscripts and books, and other objects
of cultural value.
Tourist Facility : Any public or private natural or legal person
exercising a touristic activity.

Article 2 — In order to achieve its objectives, the Department shall assume the following ¶

additional competencies:
1. Organise exhibitions, conferences and events related to culture and
cultural heritage.
2. Establish and manage public libraries, manage the National Library
based in Abu Dhabi city, sponsor the intellectual and artistic activities
by managing lecture halls, conferences and cultural performances,
organise seminars as well as intellectual, scientific, artistic and
professional meetings, and publish studies and researches in the field of
the Department’s competencies.
3. Preserve archaeological, heritage and historical sites and buildings and
prepare inventory lists for the movable and immovable cultural heritage
properties.
4. Conduct excavation works in the field of archaeology and restoration of
archaeological artefacts, issue the licences required for archaeological
excavations, and supervise the work and activities of the scientific
missions in the field of archaeology.
5. Establish, manage and develop museums and supervise and preserve

-- 143 of 160 --

143
cultural artefacts kept in museums and warehouses.
6. Pursue the violations and infringements on the cultural heritage in the
Emirate, in cooperation with the concerned entities.
7. Monitor the public and private Cultural Property in the field of cultural
heritage.
8. Make all the efforts aiming at observing the national history by collecting
its various documents, registering its heritage, scrutinizing, studying and
publishing it.
9. Encourage and develop tourism in the Emirate, promote and market the
Emirate as a tourist destination, and promoting the tourism investment
opportunities therein locally, regionally and internationally.
10. Lay down the tourism development plan for the Emirate based on the
studies prepared by the Department to this effect and oversee its
implementation.
11. Oversee the activities of Exhibitions in the Emirate, issue the licences
required for such activities and monitor them.
12. Issue the specifications guide for the classification of tourist facilities
and classify them in accordance with the procedures developed thereby.
13. License the tourist transport companies and institutions while observing
the technical specifications determined by the concerned entities.
14. Regulate tourist guide services and others working in the tourism
sector, supervise their qualification and training, and issue their practice
licences.
15. Hold seminars, conferences, exhibitions and festivals aiming at
promoting the Emirate as a hub for specialised international exhibitions,
and promote and stimulate tourism or investment in the tourism sector
inside or outside the Emirate.
16. Establish and manage tourist promotion offices inside and outside the
State.

-- 144 of 160 --

144
17. Any other competencies or duties assigned to the Department by the
Executive Council.

Article 4 — This Resolution shall be effective from the date of its issuance and shall be ¶

published in the Official Gazette.
Issued by us in Abu Dhabi
On: 20 February 2018
Corresponding to: 4 Jumada Al Akher 1439 H
Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Crown Prince
Chairman of the Executive Council

-- 145 of 160 --

145