SHARJAH, 3rd May, 2023 (WAM) — The Sharjah Institute for Heritage (SIH) has announced the launch of a high-caliber partnership with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, in line with their continuous scientific and academic efforts to elevate and preserve the tangible and intangible cultural heritage across the Arab world, while also enhancing awareness of its importance.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed by both parties at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt, establishes a mutual collaboration and exchange of knowledge and expertise, as well as a community partnership.
The signing was attended by Dr. Abdulaziz Al Musallam, Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage (SIH), and Prof. Ahmed Abdullah Zayed Hegab, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, along with Ahmed Salim Al Bairaq, Director of Corporate Communications at the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, and Attiq Al Qubaisi, a heritage researcher.
Dr. Al Musallam expressed his immense pride in forging this crucial partnership, which embodies various cultural, academic, and artistic dimensions. This aligns perfectly with the Sharjah Institute for Heritage's objectives as a cultural and academic institution, as it works towards translating the visions of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, in reinforcing and preserving identity and heritage.
He added that the esteemed academic and scientific status of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, as a comprehensive cultural and scientific institution with a rich history and impressive record of preserving scholarly and research references, will contribute to expanding current cooperation and partnership between the two parties through the development and activation of additional joint programmes and initiatives.
The Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage explained that, according to the memorandum of understanding, the two parties will collaborate in setting up a dedicated portal for the non-material cultural heritage: “Maknaz” project, through the expertise of the Heritage Documentation Centre of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
He highlighted that the "Maknaz" is the fruit of the directives of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, and that the Institute is sponsoring, supporting and disseminating this prominent cultural and cognitive project in order to make this valuable scientific material available to all.
Dr. Al Musallam emphasised that for many centuries, Gulf nationals have always been skilled in multiple languages, with more than three languages, including Hindi and Persian, and with the arrival of European colonisers, they began to master Portuguese, English, and French. Therefore, the diversity that the United Arab Emirates has reached today, with the presence of more than 200 nationalities, is a natural extension of that ancient heritage, and the relationship with Egypt is very old.
For his part, Prof. Hegab expressed his delight at signing the joint cooperation agreement with the Sharjah Institute for Heritage regarding the preservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, and he pointed out that H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi is very interested in collecting and documenting heritage. This has been demonstrated on many occasions over decades of active work on heritage, its status, importance, and sustainability.
Under the MoU, which is valid for a period of three years, both parties will collaborate on scientific research to study, document, preserve, and promote tangible and intangible cultural heritage, as well as other disciplines. In addition, they will cooperate in translation and publishing, and exchange publications, references, media, and anything that can enrich the experience of both parties from their knowledge resources.