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Sharjah / Emirates Business
Sharjah Museums Department (SMD) will use the occasion of International Museum Day to celebrate its tenth anniversary with a review of its successes over the past decade and a raft of new measures to improve visitor experiences. The department was founded in 2006 by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, with a mandate to support Emirati, Arab and Islamic heritage and to further the appreciation of culture and the arts among the wider community.
Since then, SMD has managed and developed 16 of the region’s finest museums, covering science, the arts, archaeology, Islamic civilisation, the marine world, calligraphy, Sharjah’s history and much more. The department will celebrate International Museum Day on May 18 by reviewing past successes and planning its strategy over the next decade.
Objectives include greatly expanding its public education programme, increasing specialised training for
tour guides and curators, improving museum accessibility, and hosting more prestigious local and international exhibitions.
Manal Ataya, Director General of Sharjah Museums Department, said: “This significant anniversary presents us with the perfect opportunity to look back on the past ten years and ensure we are aligned with our objectives. SMD’s development over the past ten years has seen it develop into a well-structured governmental department with clearly-defined roles for its sub-departments and 16 museums.