SHARJAH, 5th January, 2017 (WAM) -- H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, issued a law on the organisation, objectives, liabilities and specialisations of Sharjah Archaeology Authority, SAA.

According to Law No. (2) of 2017, Sharjah Archaeology Authority enjoys corporate body status and full legal capacity to enable it to carry out its duties and activities in order to achieve its objectives.

The new law states that Sharjah Archaeology Authority will be based in the Emirate of Sharjah and may, based on the approval of the Sharjah Executive Council, SEC, establish affiliates, branches and representative offices within the emirate.

SAA will be tasked with researching and investigating archaeological sites in the Emirate of Sharjah and putting these sites on the archaeological map besides supervising all archaeological sites and providing due and necessary protection to these sites in co-ordination with the concerned authorities.

Carrying out excavation works, organising excavation works for foreign archaeological missions, studying, analysing, restoring and maintaining movable and immovable archaeological discoveries, preparing scientific and archaeological researches and reports, and spreading awareness about archaeological significance are among SAAs specialisations.

The articles of the law also stipulate that SAA will carry out its duties and activities so as to achieve its objectives, which include but not limited to, suggesting the general policy of excavation, co-ordinating and co-operating with concerned local, regional and international archaeological entities, and exchanging expertise with them, advising legislations, restituting any Sharjah-owned antiquities by all legal means, overseeing antiquities and following up their maintenance, preparing, organising and participating in local and global archaeology-related conferences and workshops, and any other duties or specialisations vested in the authority by the Ruler of the emirate or the Executive Council.

SAA will have a director-general, appointed by an Emiri Decree, who will be assisted by highly experienced staff. He will have the needed powers that will help him run the affairs of SAA. He will also enjoy the right to take all appropriate decisions to achieve SAAs objectives.

The financial resources of SAA will include endowments, aids, authority-generated revenues, investment revenues or any other resources approved by the Executive Council.

The law also states that the authority will have an annual financial statement starting from January and ending on the last day of December.

The authority will be exempted from all taxes and local fees of all sorts and forms.

The law is effective from the date of its issuance and shall be published in the Official Gazette.

Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2017.