Bridging Global Standards and Arab Realities: The Arab Framework for Professional Accreditation in Architectural and Urban Heritage Preservation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14571/brajets.v18.n4.1695-1715Keywords:
Professional accreditation, architectural heritage, UNESCO Culture 2030 Agenda, ethical governanceAbstract
The preservation of architectural and urban heritage in the Arab world remains constrained by fragmented professional regulation and the absence of unified accreditation systems. This study develops the Arab Framework for Professional Accreditation in Architectural and Urban Heritage Preservation (AFPAHP)—a competency-based, ethically grounded, and culturally embedded model addressing this structural gap. Through comparative and institutional analysis, global frameworks (RIBA, ICON, E.C.C.O., RICS) were benchmarked against regional initiatives led by the Saudi Heritage Commission, ALECSO, and the Sharjah Institute for Heritage. Results reveal institutional fragmentation, weak competency evaluation, and limited ethical codification. The AFPAHP proposes an Arab Council for Professional Accreditation in Heritage (ACP-AH) and a Pan-Arab Code of Ethics to ensure measurable competence, transparency, and cross-border recognition. The framework contributes to theory and practice by embedding Arab identity within global accreditation paradigms, aligning with UNESCO’s Culture 2030 Agenda and SDG 11.4 to advance sustainable heritage governance.
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