Sultan Al Qasimi Honors Winners of the First Edition of the Sharjah International Award for Cultural Heritage

His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, attended this evening at the headquarters of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage the ceremony honoring the winners of the first edition of the Sharjah International Award for Cultural Heritage. The ceremony, held in conjunction with World Heritage Day, opened with a speech by H.E. Dr. Abdulaziz Abdulrahman Al Musallam, Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage and Chairman of the Award’s Supreme Committee. He stated that the Sharjah International Award for Cultural Heritage is rooted in the vision of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and implemented in line with his directives aimed at preserving Arab cultural heritage, promoting the values and methods of safeguarding it, and raising awareness among all segments of society of its importance and the necessity of ensuring its continuity. He affirmed the Institute’s belief in heritage as one of the most prominent components of national identity and an effective means of communication among civilizations and nations, and in its role in expanding interest in cultural heritage and enabling the Institute to fulfill its objectives, including safeguarding cultural heritage elements, honoring narrators and bearers of heritage (Living Human Treasures), and protecting their cultural repository in accordance with internationally recognized standards, particularly the conventions issued by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Dr. Al Musallam explained that the Award comprises three fields—Safeguarding Practices of Cultural Heritage Elements; Narrators and Bearers of Heritage (Living Human Treasures); and Research and Studies in Cultural Heritage—encompassing nine categories (three in each field). The Award aims to contribute to honoring successful efforts and supporting inspiring initiatives in safeguarding cultural heritage and ensuring its continuity. The Award is adjudicated by a jury committee comprising distinguished specialists, academics, and researchers in heritage. The Chairman of the Award’s Supreme Committee noted that the Award’s vision seeks to create a supportive environment for the sustainability of Arab cultural heritage, ensure its transmission to future generations, promote awareness of human heritage, and strengthen cooperation in this field. In line with its mission, the Award recognizes distinguished efforts at the local, Arab, and international levels in safeguarding and documenting heritage and successful experiences that ensure its continuity, while fostering both theoretical and applied scholarly competition among those engaged in scientific and field-based research in heritage preservation and documentation. The Award also honors “Living Human Treasures” and emphasizes the effective role of narrators—bearers of oral literary masterpieces, heritage knowledge, and craft skills—in safeguarding humanity’s cultural heritage and ensuring its continuity. Dr. Al Musallam congratulated the winners, describing participants as deserving and exemplary winners—guardians of heritage committed to safeguarding and transmitting it to future generations. During the ceremony, a film on cultural heritage and its protection and on the efforts undertaken by the Emirate of Sharjah in preserving and safeguarding it was screened. The audience also witnessed a sand-art performance depicting Sharjah’s cultural and artistic initiatives under the leadership of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, which have contributed to comprehensive development across various sectors. Thereafter, His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah honored the winners, congratulating them and thanking them for their efforts in preserving cultural heritage. Awards were distributed across the three principal fields. In the field of Best Safeguarding Practices of Cultural Heritage, the Local Practices Award was granted to Obaid bin Sandal (United Arab Emirates); the Arab Practices Award to Najima Taytay (Kingdom of Morocco); and the International Practices Award to José Calvo (Kingdom of Spain). In the field of Narrators and Bearers of Heritage (Living Human Treasures), the Local Narrator Award was granted to Ali Al-Qaseer (United Arab Emirates); the Arab Narrator Award to Mostafa Othman (Arab Republic of Egypt); and the International Narrator Award to Julia Morandi (French Republic). In the third field, Researchers in Cultural Heritage, the Local Research Award was granted to Iman Humaid Ghanem (United Arab Emirates); the Arab Research Award to Sayed Mohammed Ali (Arab Republic of Egypt); and the International Research Award to Giovanni Gioriani (Italian Republic). His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah also attended a number of accompanying artistic and folkloric performances, including presentations by the Republic of Malta—guest of honor at the Sharjah Heritage Days—and performances by the Sharjah Heritage Art Troupe. The ceremony was attended by H.E. Mohammed Obaid Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Department of Protocol and Hospitality; H.E. Mohammed Hassan Khalaf, Director-General of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority; H.E. Counsellor Mansour bin Nassar, Director of the Legal Department at the Ruler’s Office; Tariq Alai Al Naqbi, Director of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau; Zaki Aslan, Director of the ICCROM Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of Cultural Heritage in the Arab Region (ICCROM-Sharjah); as well as a number of officials, specialists, and media representatives.