In 1982, Shibam was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its unique architecture and cultural significance.

The houses of Shibam are all made out of mudbrick, and about 500 of them are tower blocks, which rise 5 to 11 stories high,[14] with each floor having one or two rooms.

In order to protect the buildings from rain and erosion, the walls must be routinely maintained by applying fresh layers of mud.

The mudbrick buildings are frequently threatened by wind, rain, and heat erosion, and require constant upkeep in order to maintain their structures.

[21][22] In 2015, Shibam was added to the list of World Heritage Sites in danger when violent civil war erupted in Yemen.

Historic buildings were significantly damaged during heavy bombing in Sana'a, and remain at risk from armed conflict.

Another road, departing from the village of Alajlanya, in the west, links Shibam to Mukalla, the governorate's capital on the Indian Ocean.

The Dubai Global Village, an open-air shopping and entertainment complex in the United Arab Emirates, includes a Yemeni pavilion with mud-brick structures intended to evoke the architecture of Shibam.