Sharjah Ruler honours winners of Sharjah International Award for Cultural Heritage

SHARJAH/WAM

His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, on Tuesday attended the ceremony honouring the winners of the sixth edition of the Sharjah International Award for Cultural Heritage (SIACH) at the theatre of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage.
The ceremony opened with a performance of Al Ahal art presented by the Sharjah National Band of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, followed by a visual presentation highlighting the journey, mission and objectives of the SIACH.
Dr Abdulaziz Al Musallam, Chairman of the SIACH, highlighted the efforts of H.H. the Ruler of Sharjah to safeguard cultural heritage and preserve historical and heritage landmarks through projects and initiatives aimed at protecting place-based memory and oral traditions in Sharjah and around the world.
He also highlighted His Highness’s support for the protection of cultural heritage, culminating in the launch of the SIACH, the first Arab award to adopt an international approach to cultural heritage.
He also pointed to the neglect that cultural heritage faced worldwide as a result of the stereotypical view of folk heritage and the consequences this had for heritage and its preservation. This continued until international organisations called on countries and peoples to protect their heritage, preserve their cultural legacy and safeguard it from loss and disappearance, helping place cultural heritage at the forefront of priorities.
Al Musallam congratulated the award winners, noting that the award had become a landmark among specialised awards and a strong bridge for civilisational communication and cultural exchange, serving Sharjah’s cultural project, which engages with the world through conscious culture, enlightened thought and living heritage that brings humanity together, regardless of differences in cultures, colours and traditions.
Aisha Rashid Al Hussan Al Shamsi, Secretary-General of the SIACH, said the award continues its mission by celebrating the person who carries, narrates and practises heritage; the researcher who documents and studies it; and the institutions and projects working to preserve and sustain it.
She said this reflects the belief that preserving heritage is a responsibility and that its value lies not only in what is retained from the past, but also in the knowledge and experience it carries, the identity it safeguards and the connection it creates between people’s present and their roots.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, H.H. the Ruler of Sharjah honoured the winners of the SIACH across its various categories.
Dr Abdulla Al Taboor Al Nuaimi won the Cultural Heritage Personality of the Year Award.
In the Best Practices for Safeguarding of Cultural Heritage category, the winners were: the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority in the local category; the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO) in the Arab category; and Zhu Wucheng from the People’s Republic of China in the international category.
In the Best Research and Studies in Cultural Heritage category, the winners were: Dr Fatema Ali Mohammed Ali Al Memari in the local category; researchers Huda bint Mubarak bin Humaid and Thuraya bint Abdullah from the Sultanate of Oman in the Arab category; and Davor Sedlarevic from Montenegro in the international category.
In the Best Narrators and Bearers of Cultural Heritage (Living Human Treasures) category, the winners were: narrator Rashid bin Abdulla Al Mahyan Al Ketbi in the local category; narrator Hafida Hamoud from the Kingdom of Morocco in the Arab category; and narrator Wee Shelia Moira Nee Wilson from the Republic of Singapore in the international category.
The Ruler of Sharjah also honoured members of the judging panel, sponsors, partners, supporters and the scientific committee.
The ceremony was attended alongside His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah by Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Archives; Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority; Eng. Yousef Khamis Al Othmani, Chairman of the Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority; Dr Abdulaziz Al Musallam, Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage; Salah Salem Al Mahmoud, Director General of the Sharjah Archives; Mohamed Hassan Khalaf, Director-General of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority; Dr Aisha Bu Khatir Al Shamsi, Secretary-General of the Sharjah Council for Higher Education and Scientific Research; Abu Bakr Mohammed Al Kindi, Director of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage; and a number of officials and specialists.