The village of Umm al-Jimal in Jordan has been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List, a significant achievement celebrated by the country’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Makram al-Qaisi. This announcement was made during a meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in New Delhi, India. It was highlighted that the oldest structures found in Umm al-Jimal date back to the first century CE, when the region was part of the Nabataean Kingdom.

UNESCO states that inscriptions in Greek, Nabataean, Safaitic, Latin, and Arabic found at the site illuminate the changing religious beliefs of the area’s inhabitants. Located 86 kilometers north of Jordan’s capital, Amman, near the Syrian border, the village is known as “the black oasis” due to the predominant presence of black volcanic stone in the area.

Minister al-Qaisi stated at a press conference on Sunday that the inclusion of Umm al-Jimal on the World Heritage List is “a significant achievement, of which we should be proud.” He added that the ministry hopes to attract local and international investors to present Umm al-Jimal as an appealing tourist destination.

The name Umm al-Jimal is derived from the historical use of camels in trade caravans in the village, which was first settled by the Nabataeans in the first century CE and later occupied by the Romans, establishing it as an important agricultural and trading hub. With this addition, Umm al-Jimal becomes the seventh historical site in Jordan on the UNESCO World Heritage List, joining renowned locations such as Petra, Quseir Amra, Umm al-Rasas, Wadi Rum, Al-Maghtas, and Salt.

Tourism contributes between 12 and 14 percent to the kingdom’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with the 10 million inhabitants of Jordan heavily relying on this sector. Al-Qaisi mentioned that Jordan received over six million tourists in 2023, generating approximately $7 billion for the country. Most tourists come from Europe, the USA, and Canada, followed by countries in Asia and the Pacific region.

However, tourism in the country has been affected by Israel’s ongoing conflict with neighboring Gaza, resulting in a 4.9 percent decline in tourism revenue and a 7.9 percent decrease in visitor numbers in 2024.