SHARJAH, 14th September, 2023 (WAM) — H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has issued an Emiri Decree on the establishment and organisation of the House of Manuscripts (HOM) in the Emirate of Sharjah.
Based on the Decree, The House of Manuscripts (HOM) shall be established in the Emirate of Sharjah with full legal capacity, financial and administrative independence, and legal personality, to carry out its mandate.
The House of Manuscript in the emirate will be headed by Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, and Abdul Rahman bin Muhammad bin Nasser Al Owais will be appointed as Vice President of the House.
According to the Decree, the headquarters of the house will be in the city of Sharjah, and the president may decide to allow branches to be established in other cities and areas of the emirate.
HOM aims to achieve the following:
1. Collecting and preserving manuscripts from the Islamic and international heritage, caring for them, maintaining them, and restoring them.
2. Providing opportunity for scholars, researchers, and those interested in to review, research, and learn about intellectual, cultural, literary, and scientific contents in HOM.
3. Disseminating world heritage on the history of science and its contributions to the heritage of humanity.
The decree further stated that the house will employ the following authorities in order to accomplish its goals:
1. Collecting , preserving and organising manuscripts based on best practices and modern methods.
2. Maintenance and restoration of HOM’s collectibles .
3. Establishing certain criteria for manuscripts and keeping, maintaining, preserving, restoring, categorising, numbering, assessing, and monitoring them to assure their preservation.
4. Organising scientific seminars, conferences, and specialised training courses in the field of manuscripts.
5. Providing services to researchers and readers, and presenting HOM’s collectibles for them to review based on terms issued by the president.
6. Cooperating with cultural, heritage and manuscripts authorities at local and international levels.
7 . Signing contracts, agreements, memorandums of understanding, and collaborations with similar organisations after receiving the President's consent.
8. Any other duties assigned to the house by the president.
The decree specifies that the president has unlimited authority to use the following powers:
1. Taking HOM’s overall policy and strategic strategy into consideration.
2. Taking into account everything pertaining to the goals and areas of expertise of the house.
3 . Establishing certain criteria for manuscripts and keeping, maintaining, preserving, restoring, categorising, numbering, assessing, and monitoring them to assure their preservation.
4. Approving the organizational structure of the house and issuing it in accordance with the legislation in the emirate.
5. Approving to sign contracts, agreements and memorandums of understanding of the HOM .
6. Approving the financial and administrative regulations of the House and their amendments and issuing them in accordance with the legislation in the emirate.
7. Reviewing and approving the gifts and donations received to the house through an endowment, will, gift, or other means, and ensure that they do not conflict with the purposes of the house.
8. Appointing a director for HOM.
In accordance with the decree, HOM is managed by a director appointed by a decision of the president who will work under his supervision and will organize all administrative and financial affairs of HOM and will follow up on the implementation of the decisions and directives issued by the president.
The Director shall exercise the following duties and powers:
1. Implementing the general policy and strategic plan of the House of Manuscripts.
2. Supervising the scientific, administrative and financial work of the House of Manuscripts.
3. Preparing general plans and systems that ensure the House of Manuscripts’ development of work, progress, and raised level of employees’ performance.
4. Proposing and submitting the House of Manuscripts’ draft estimated budget and final accounts to the President for approval.
5. Preparing and submitting administrative and financial regulations to the president for approval.
6. Proposing and submitting the organisational structure of the House of Manuscripts to the president for approval.
7. Representing the House of Manuscripts before the judiciary, governmental and private bodies, and representing the House of Manuscripts in its relations with others internally and externally.
8. Preparing and presenting the necessary periodic reports on the progress of work at the House of Manuscripts to the president.
9. Issuing administrative decisions and instructions regulating the work of the House of Manuscripts and supervising its workers.
10. Any other tasks and powers assigned by the President.