The draft addresses the prevention of damage to antiquities, the designation of protection zones, chance discoveries, and site management and maintenance. It also includes provisions for underwater heritage and natural sites of cultural value.
Chapter Two: Protection and Management of Archaeological Cultural Heritage
Protection of Antiquities and Prevention of Encroachment
Article 8
Draft
It is prohibited to damage immovable or movable antiquities or compromise their integrity or value by any means, including obliteration, bulldozing, dismantling, destruction or disfigurement, exploitation without a licence, or exposure to harmful influences or substances, or to incendiary or chemical substances.
Metal detectors may be used at archaeological sites or within their protection zones only under a licence from the Department of Antiquities.
This working English translation follows the supplied Arabic draft, including incomplete or repeated passages and the repeated heading “Chapter Six”. It is not an official legal translation. The Arabic source is authoritative.
