This forum is expected to promote a dialogue aimed to revisit regional and diverse cultural perceptions and values, pose significant questions, and critique a spectrum of regional views on the subject. The forum specifically aims to:

• Encourage experts from a range of cultural fields to discuss concepts related to the notion of authenticity and the essence of cultural heritage conservation in the Arab region.
• Advocate and promote the significance and meanings of Cultural Heritage with embedded attributes as perceived in the region.
• Explore means to encourage cultural dialogue to promote the exchange of viewpoints and perceptions, as well as understanding the meaning(s) of cultural heritage conservation on local, regional, and global contexts.
• Inform cultural heritage policies in the region, in order to integrate heritage within sustainable urban development and explore means to engage diverse communities in conservation and post-disaster recovery projects.
• Analyze the role of museums and education in forming a better understanding, and in making cultural heritage relevant to the public.
• The ICCROM-Sharjah office will follow up on the forum’s objectives through its mission as a “school” for heritage conservation and promotion serving the region, and as a think-tank for policymakers in the region. It will continue to contribute to the dissemination of knowledge at institutional, socio-cultural, and professional levels.