SOCIO-CULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY OF AL AIN'S MUD VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE–UAE

This paper explores the socio-cultural dimension of sustainability in Al Ain’s mud vernacular architecture, highlighting how indigenous knowledge, oral traditions, and community practices have ensured resilience over the last century. While conservation policies often prioritize physical preservation, this study emphasizes the importance of safeguarding intangible heritage and its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A mixed-method approach combined literature review, field observations, semi-structured interviews with restoration experts and a master builder, and a public survey of 161 respondents. The VerSus framework was applied to analyze five socio-cultural principles: the protection of cultural landscapes, the transmission of construction cultures, creative innovation, the recognition of intangible values, and the promotion of social cohesion. The study demonstrates that socio-cultural sustainability is a cornerstone of Al Ain’s vernacular resilience. Traditional construction knowledge, social cooperation, and cultural values shaped adaptive architecture and aligned with global sustainability priorities. The findings are strongly relevant to the SDGs related to heritage protection, inclusive urban development, knowledge transfer, and community cohesion. This paper advances scholarship by framing socio-cultural sustainability as a transferable model for heritage management that bridges the tangible and intangible dimensions. By situating Al Ain’s mud architecture within the SDG agenda, this analysis highlights the global relevance of indigenous practices to contemporary sustainability challenges.