SHARJAH 3rd, May 2023 (WAM), — The Sharjah Institute for Heritage has announced a partnership of high caliber with the Bibliotheca Alexanderina. This is in keeping with their ongoing scientific and academic efforts in order to raise and preserve tangible and intangible culture in the Arab World, as well as raising awareness about its importance.
The Memorandum of Understanding, signed by the two parties at Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt, establishes a partnership between both parties, a collaboration, and an exchange of expertise and knowledge.
At the signing, Dr. Abdulaziz Al Musallam (Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage) and Prof. Ahmed Abdullah Zayed Hegab (Director of the Bibliotheca Alexanderina), along with Ahmed Salim Al Bairaq (Director of Corporate Communications for the Sharjah Institute for Heritage) and Attiq Al Qbaisi a heritage researcher, were present.
Dr. Al Musallam has expressed his pride at the creation of this important partnership that embodies a variety of cultural, academic and artistic dimensions. Sharjah Institute for Heritage, a cultural and educational institution that works to translate the visions of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi is a Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah and member of the Supreme Council.
He said that the Bibliotheca Alexanderina’s prestigious academic and scientific standing, as a comprehensive institution of culture and science with a long history and an impressive record in preserving scholarly research and references, would contribute to the expansion of current cooperation and partnerships between the two parties, through the development of and activation of new joint programmes and initiatives.
The Chairman of Sharjah’s Institute for Heritage stated that the two parties, in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding, will work together to create a portal dedicated for non-material culture heritage, “Maknaz”, through the expertise provided by the Heritage Documentation Centre at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
He said that “Maknaz”, the result of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi and the Institute are sponsoring, supporting, and disseminating a prominent cultural and cognitive project to make valuable scientific materials available to everyone.
Dr. Al Musallam stressed that Gulf nationals had been proficient in more than three different languages for centuries. They spoke Hindi, Persian and English. With the arrival of European colonisers they also learned Portuguese, English and French. The diversity of the United Arab Emirates today with more than 200 nationalities is a natural extension from that ancient heritage. And the relationship between Egypt and the United Arab Emirates is also very old.
Prof. Hegab, for his part, expressed his pleasure at the signing of the joint agreement with the Sharjah Institute for Heritage in regards to the preservation tangible and non-tangible cultural heritage. He also pointed out that H.H. Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi has a keen interest in documenting and collecting heritage. It has been shown on numerous occasions during decades of work on heritage and its importance.
The MoU is valid for three years and will allow both parties to collaborate in scientific research, including the study, documentation, preservation, and promotion of tangible and non-tangible cultural heritage. They will also cooperate on translation and publishing and exchange publications and references.
