SCHEP finalises draft bid to include Um Al Jimal on World Heritage list

AMMAN — A draft nomination request to include Um Al Jimal archaeological site on the World Heritage List has been finalised, the mission preserving the Byzantine town said on Sunday.  

During a ceremony on Saturday, USAID’s Sustainable Cultural Heritage Through Engagement of Local Communities Project (SCHEP) announced the finished bid to include Um Al Jimal archaeological site on the World Heritage List.

USAID SCHEP is a four-year USAID project implemented by the American Centre of Oriental Research (ACOR), which uses a community-first approach to preserve, manage and promote cultural heritage resources in Jordan. 

Acting director general of the Department of Antiquities,Yazeed Alayan said that including Um Al Jimal on the World Heritage List would contribute to enhancing Jordan's status as a country with abundant archeological and historical sites, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Ralph Koehring, acting director of the American mission, USAID Jordan, highlighted the impact of the project on the local community, saying that a total of 63 jobs had been created through SCHEP in Um Al Jimal, which is in Mafraq Governorate, 80km northeast of Amman.

ACOR Director Barbara Porter said that SCHEP works to involve the local community in heritage preservation, adding that several training courses and workshops were organised to equip citizens with the necessary skills and knowledge for that purpose, according to Petra.