Preserving culture, fostering community engagement and sustaining the heritage ecosystem: a case study of Al Jazeera Al Hamra heritage village

Purpose – This article examines how the heritage ecosystem approach can inform adaptive reuse, cultural preservation and community engagement in the Al Jazeera Al Hamra (AJAH) Heritage Village in Ras Al Khaimah, in the framework of the recent Gunma Declaration on Heritage Ecosystem (2025). The article evaluates AJAH's conservation and activation strategies, community engagement and economic dimensions, identifies challenges and proposes recommendations to sustain the site as a living cultural, social and environmental asset. Design/methodology/approach – The article proposes a qualitative analysis of a case study using multiple, triangulated data sources: repeated site visits and observations (2018–2025), analysis of policy and planning documents and visitor/management materials, and stakeholder evidence drawn from interviews and informal discussions. The study situates empirical findings within international frameworks to evaluate adaptive-reuse programming and community-centred management. Findings – AJAH shows that performative activation can help conserve physical fabric, while community engagement fosters education, participation and local pride. Programmatic activation shifted the site from “museumification” to a living cultural venue. Still, challenges persist: limited seasonal use, predominantly top-down community engagement and rising economic pressures with risk of commodification and gentrification related to nearby luxury developments. Originality/value – The article applies the emergent heritage ecosystem lens to a Gulf pearling village that predates the Gunma Declaration yet implicitly embodies many of its principles. It advances the concept of adaptive authenticity as an analytical lens to reconcile conservation, performative reuse and community values in rapidly transforming contexts. The findings offer guidance for similar heritage settings in the UAE and globally.