The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), in partnership with the Getty Conservation Institute, has announced the launch of the 2025 edition of the International Course on Earthen Architecture Conservation (EAC).
Building on the success of the previous two editions in 2018 and 2022, which drew participants from 19 countries such as Morocco, Saudi Arabia and India, and the wider MENASA region, the month-long programme is convening its third edition in Al Ain, UAE, and Nizwa, Oman from 25 January to 23 February 2025.
In regions worldwide, including the Arabian Peninsula, earth has been a fundamental construction material for centuries. Despite efforts to safeguard and maintain these significant sites, earthen structures globally are at risk of disappearing due to abandonment, demolition, and substitution with modern materials. Although the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA) hold much of the world’s earthen architecture, there are limited targeted training opportunities available for professionals working in the region on the conservation of earthen heritage.
The EAC course has garnered great demand with over 100 applications having been received for the 2025 course. 20 participants from the MENASA region with competitive applications and varied backgrounds such as archaeology, architecture, material science, urban planning, and engineering were selected as part of the 2025 cohort.
Since 2017, DCT Abu Dhabi has joined forces with the Getty Conservation Institute, a global leader in the field of capacity building in conservation. This course is a powerful statement of DCT Abu Dhabi’s commitment to promoting, preserving, and protecting earthen architecture which is a hallmark of the emirate’s architectural identity but also is a shared building tradition globally. Curated collaboratively, the curriculum offers professionals a unique opportunity to refine their skills and acquire practical expertise in this specialised field by learning from and practicing on earthen heritage sites in Al Ain and in Nizwa, Oman.
The course is taught by 14 leading experts and instructors in the field of conservation of earthen materials, including several from DCT Abu Dhabi’s Historic Environment Department. The curriculum covers a variety of topics including conservation theory and principles, mechanisms of decay, conservation interventions, materials testing, site management, heritage planning. This year, the course has added a module related to climate change and disaster risk management. In addition, the didactic materials of the course refined over the last three editions will be collated and published in English and Arabic as a valuable resource and reference.