SMA shares emirate’s rich cultural stories at London’s WTM 2023

SHARJAH / WAM

Sharjah Museums Authority (SMA) has recently drawn the attention of international audiences by showcasing Sharjah Emirate’s rich history and its array of unique destinations at the World Travel Market (WTM) 2023 in London.
From November 6-8, in an event that brought together global representatives of the travel and tourism industry, SMA shared Sharjah’s vibrant cultural heritage and brought history to life with student-developed technology.
Held under the banner of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority and within Sharjah’s dedicated pavilion, SMA showcased the emirate’s attractions and underscored its growing stature in the regional and international tourism sectors.
Aisha Rashid Deemas, Director-General of SMA, underlined the importance of the WTM in promoting Sharjah as a leading destination that truly reflects the emirate’s cultural identity and the living traditions of its people.
“The goal is to showcase Sharjah’s outstanding destinations, embody the emirate’s cultural essence, and express the enduring customs and traditions of its citizens,” she said.
The event has also served as a channel for networking, forging valuable partnerships and fostering dialogue with global travel and tourism leaders.
A highlight of SMA’s showcase was the celebration of an Augmented Reality (AR) experience at the Sharjah Fort (Al Hisn) that was masterfully created by university students from Sharjah.
The promoted AR project, a collaborative effort with Dr Krzysztof Pietroszek, the Founding Director of the Institute for Immersive Designs, Experiences, Applications, and Stories (Institute for IDEAS) at the American University, Washington, is spearheaded by Dr Suhail Dahdal, Associate Professor in Media Communication and Head, Department of Media Communication at AUS.
The project helps connect Emirati youth with their heritage in a novel and compelling manner that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to animate historical sites and museum artefacts in a virtual and augmented reality-based environment.
SMA has additionally promoted Kalba as a distinctive tourist attraction offering unique experiences to visitors worldwide and the Bait Sheikh Saeed Bin Hamad Al Qasimi House Museum.
An architectural marvel from 1899 in Kalba, the museum was recently reopened to the public, offering a window into the rich cultural fabric of Sharjah through its array of artefacts and storied history.