The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Documents WHC-12/36.COM/8B and WHC-12/36.COM/INF.8B1,
2. Refers the nomination of Al Zubarah Archaeological Site, Qatar, back to the State Party, in order to allow it to:
a) Further develop its understanding of how the fabric of Al Zubarah and its desert hinterland were an exceptional testimony to a specific interaction between nomadic herders, pearl divers, fishermen and traders that once characterised the way of life in the Gulf by:
(i) Presenting the results of surveys and excavations carried out in the property and its wider setting, including underwater archaeology, that have already permitted the understanding of the origins of the town, the basis for its prosperity, its layout and how it related to the coast, its desert landscape and small satellite settlements and,
(ii) Completing the archival and oral history research developed within the project,
b) Formalize the official approval of the buffer zone limits and the Madinat Ash Shamal urban plan,
c) Complete and implement the Conservation Strategy identifying the interventions desirable to stabilize the urban remains,
d) Follow up the development of the Site Management Unit operational on site since 2011,
e) Monitor the effectiveness of the Management Plan;
3. Recommends that Heritage Impact Assessments be renewed in case major infrastructural projects in the vicinity of the property should become active again in order to ensure that these do not impact adversely on the town and its wider desert setting.