Zayed National Museum, the national museum of the United Arab Emirates, will host the 58th Seminar for Arabian Studies from 12 to 14 December 2025. This marks the first time the global gathering will be held in the Arab world.
Organised in collaboration with the International Association for the Study of Arabia, this year’s edition, themed Unearthing History, Preserving Heritage, Enriching Humanity, highlights how Arabian studies have progressed from early explorations to today’s regionally led research and cross-disciplinary collaboration. The event showcases how new findings are helping to build a richer, more connected understanding of the region’s history, identity, and heritage.
The three-day seminar will host more than 100 global scholars who will highlight major archaeological discoveries from the UAE and the wider region, including the Jumeirah Archaeological Research Project in Dubai, as well as new findings from Abu Dhabi: rare late Palaeolithic stone tools, and studies on Iron Age burial practices in Al Ain Region. It will also explore the impact of climate change on ancient human life, childhood in the Bronze Age, Aramaic inscriptions, an Umayyad Arabic inscription from the historic Darb Zubaydah route, a historic shipwreck in the Gulf of Aqaba, new evidence of early Christian presence in the Arabian Gulf, and more.
The Seminar for Arabian Studies is a cornerstone of scholarship, shaping the understanding and interpretation of the history, archaeology, languages, and cultural heritage of the Arabian Peninsula. Since its establishment in 1968, the seminar has advanced original research, fostered collaboration among scholars, and connected the region’s rich past with contemporary heritage practice. For more than 50 years the seminar has not only chronicled the history of the Arabian Peninsula, but continually redefined how that history is studied, shared, and understood.
The 58th Seminar for Arabian Studies will be conducted in English, with live Arabic translation available and will be streamed live on Zayed National Museum’s official YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ZNMUAE/streams
