Based on one of the objectives of the Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council as stated in its basic system, which includes the establishment of laws (regulations) represented in various fields.

In implementation of the recommendation issued by the esteemed agents responsible for antiquities and museums in the Council countries on 11-12 / 6 / 1434 AH corresponding to 21-22 April 2013, to prepare a charter for the architectural heritage in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Furthermore, to enhance the guiding framework for the preservation of architectural heritage in the Gulf Cooperation Council approved by the Supreme Council in its 29th session held in Muscat - Sultanate of Oman on 1-2 Muharram 1430 AH corresponding to

29-30 December 2008.

Considering the agreements and international charters concluded between the member states of the Council, the Arab League, and relevant international organizations, particularly in the field of protecting world heritage and architectural heritage issued by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab Organization for Education, Culture and Science, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Due to the importance of architectural heritage as it is a unique product that embodies the social and cultural formations produced by the Arab Gulf community in its diversity and unity and its way of dealing with various natural environments that make up its geographical area.

And acknowledging that the Gulf architectural heritage is a shared heritage among the various communities of the Arab Gulf states, witnessing the Gulf, Arab, and Islamic culture and its uniqueness with its authenticity, and that preserving it is a preservation of an important aspect of its identity, as the Gulf architectural heritage is a vast and diverse legacy built by successive generations according to their customs, traditions, natural and climatic conditions, and needs throughout the ages. Caring for this heritage is a means of cohesion between the past with its authenticity and the present with its technologies, as there must be a harmony between authenticity and modernity so that developmental trends do not divert us from investing our authentic heritage and employing it optimally in contemporary life without becoming a burden on development.

Emphasizing the importance of preserving the Gulf architectural heritage and passing it on to future generations, and the necessity of addressing it with a comprehensive approach aimed at integrating it into economic, social, and cultural development, and employing it in a manner that suits its components and allows for its operation according to the contemporary requirements of the Gulf peoples.

Based on the above, the member states agreed on the following charter:

Council: Gulf Cooperation Council.

Supreme Council: Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council. 

Ministerial Council: Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Member States: Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

State: The member state of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Charter: Charter for the preservation and development of architectural heritage in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

Architectural Heritage: Refers to all that has been constructed by humans, including cities, villages, neighborhoods, buildings, and gardens that have archaeological, religious, artistic, architectural, urban, economic, historical, scientific, cultural, or functional value, and is determined and classified as follows:

• A- Heritage buildings, which include buildings of historical, archaeological, artistic, scientific, and social importance, including elements of movable architectural heritage such as doors, windows, decorations, furniture, and others, along with the environment associated with them.

• B- Areas of architectural and natural heritage, which include cities, villages, neighborhoods, and natural sites of historical, archaeological, artistic, scientific, and social importance, along with all their components such as urban fabric, public squares, roads, alleys, infrastructure services, and heritage buildings linked to the natural environment, among others.

• C- Intangible heritage associated with architectural heritage, including traditional crafts, activities, events, customs, and local traditions.

Gulf Architectural Heritage: Refers to all architectural heritage that reflects the characteristics of Gulf urban civilization or represents the outcome of one of the multiple historical phases experienced by the member states, inherited by generations throughout the ages, and is heritage for all the people of the Gulf nation.

A- Preserving the cultural and architectural identity of the properties of member states from the architectural heritage. 

B- Working on studying the heritage to invest in affirming the local architectural identity and supporting the axes of sustainable economic development.

C- Advocating for the development of laws (regulations) and issuing contemporary legislation to protect, develop, and preserve the Gulf heritage.

D- Integrating the preservation of architectural heritage into national development policies in general and into the policies of member states in particular.

E- Unifying concepts for dealing with architectural heritage in terms of perception, laws (regulations), and implementation mechanisms, taking into account the characteristics of the laws (regulations) of different member states and their common elements, so that the charter achieves the available levels around which policies for dealing with architectural heritage converge.

F- Supporting the preservation of the national cultural characteristics of member states while highlighting the shared Arab and Islamic heritage. 

G- Establishing and supporting training centers at the national level and at the level of member states to protect the Gulf architectural heritage and encourage scientific research in this field. 

H- Supporting cooperation among member states in the field of architectural heritage, and their cooperation with their international environment within the framework of common interests on a global scale.

I- Supporting cooperation between member states and Arab, Islamic, and international institutions specialized in architectural heritage. 

The state, in accordance with its established procedures, shall maintain a register of its architectural heritage, specifying the buildings, areas, and sites of architectural heritage that must be protected, preserved, studied, and documented, while taking the necessary measures to provide urgent documentation whenever emergency circumstances require it. A guideline for the mechanism of registering architectural heritage sites shall be established.

The architectural heritage in the register is classified into:

• A- First Degree (A) of high value, which member states are obligated to preserve.

• B- Second Degree (B) of medium value, which states work to preserve and protect with the participation of governmental and private entities.

• C- Third Degree (C) where the state works to raise awareness and encourage citizens and civil society on the necessity of protecting and preserving it.

The state, in accordance with its established procedures, shall work on the following:

• A- Establishing an institutional organization concerned with preserving and developing the architectural heritage.

• B- Enacting a law (system) for the protection of architectural heritage that includes regulations for the protection of buildings, areas, and urban sites, as well as incentives to encourage citizens to contribute to the preservation of architectural heritage.

The state, in accordance with the provisions of Article (4) of this Charter, shall work on establishing regulations and practical procedures that include the following:

A- Monitoring and issuing licenses related to the protection and development of architectural heritage and following up on their implementation.

B- Ensuring that projects for demolishing buildings, altering them, constructing new buildings, or changing the general appearance of protected architectural heritage sites or their surrounding areas comply with the protection laws (regulations) under the law (system), and adhering to the opinion of the authority responsible for monitoring the law (system) for the protection of architectural heritage:

C- Following up on the protection of privately owned architectural heritage and assigning and incentivizing the owners of protected heritage to maintain or preserve it.

D- Expropriating protected architectural heritage in cases where its protection is impossible without such action.