This is a true cataloguing project, in the sense that it develops this cognitive activity which necessarily precedes the heritage protection and development activities. The work, "Yemen-urban management project Inventory of cultural heritage priority sites", is financed by the Italian Foreign Ministry and managed by the World Bank in co-ordination with the Yemeni Institutions and under GOAMM’s scientific direction. It aims to test and set up the two levels above mentioned in order to realise a "unique heritage register" by means of a central office and an initial regional one.

In Wadi Hadramaut

It was necessary to proceed directly with the identification of the entire historical-artistic heritage, restricted to Wadi Hadramaut, to call to the attention of the competent authorities. It will then be necessary to predispose and experiment, in agreement with the Client and with the support of internationally recognised experts in the regional and local culture, a "scientifically" correct methodology consistent with the "administrative" objectives to be reached. It will be necessary to identify the cultural, archaeological and architectural territorial heritage, made up of "single" monuments, aggregates of "complexes" or monuments stratified in "ancient cities". In any case, from the single isolated monument to the cities, we have used, in the documentation with records, surveys and photos, the concept of "site" as a statistical unit necessary for comprehending and describing the cultural territorial heritage. Activities deal here with the realisation of a furnished, equipped and operative office with local personnel, which Memar prepared during the project. Regarding heritage data, we realised computerised archives of the "archaeological" and "historical sites" (made up of core data and cartography).
By studying the priority sites, within less than a year, a series of co-ordinated activities have been realised in order to start up the cultural heritage inventory. We shall get an organised and unified result on two distinguished levels even on the territory. The whole Yemen and Wadi Hadramaut.