The ceremony began with the national anthem of the United Arab Emirates, after which Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral, Director General of ICCROM, delivered a speech expressing her sincere gratitude to His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah for his continued and steadfast support of ICCROM's regional activities in Sharjah and his generous patronage of this prestigious award, which highlights exceptional projects aimed at preserving cultural heritage for the benefit of communities in the Arab region.
Gujral added, "The ICCROM-Sharjah Award for Good Practices in Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management in the Arab Region is more than just recognition or appreciation; it is a testament to the transformative power of heritage conservation and a celebration of the heroes who defend this vital cause. The award not only honors technical expertise but also acknowledges the profound, intangible contributions that support the cultural identities and ways of life that distinguish our communities."
For his part, Nasser Al Darmaki, Deputy Director of the ICCROM Regional Centre in Sharjah, delivered a speech welcoming His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and the guests at the ceremony honoring experts, distinguished individuals, and specialists in the field of cultural heritage. He praised His Highness's significant support for the center, which operates under His Highness's guidance and vision through various initiatives and projects.
Al Darmaki also expressed gratitude and appreciation to the strategic partners and supporting entities of the center, considering them a fundamental pillar in implementing projects and initiatives and achieving all objectives since the center's establishment in 2012 to this day. These efforts aim to protect cultural heritage in the Arab region and expand access to its rich history.
The Deputy Director of the ICCROM Sharjah Center discussed the center's objectives, stating, "The center primarily aims to enhance the capacities of heritage and cultural institutions to manage heritage and archaeological sites and museum collections on sustainable bases. This is achieved through a range of regional educational and field activities, capacity building, training, providing consultations, and developing national policies, in addition to disseminating information and organizing conferences, workshops, and seminars."
Al Darmaki added, "Cultural heritage is the memory of nations and peoples; it is a bridge connecting the past and the present, a witness to our shared history and unique identity. It distinguishes our communities and enhances our pride in belonging. From this perspective, these awards were established to honor the efforts made to protect heritage and to encourage innovation and creativity in formulating sustainable solutions for preserving cultural heritage."
He also addressed the current edition of the ICCROM-Sharjah Award for Good Practices, saying, "We have received an unprecedented number of submissions from across the Arab region. This wide participation and significant interest came as a pleasant surprise to us, especially given some exceptional circumstances in the region. We are celebrating a selected group of these projects that have demonstrated excellence in preserving and protecting cultural heritage from interventions, as well as maintaining important historical architecture, leading to precise restoration and consolidation processes aimed at rehabilitating historical and archaeological sites.
Al Darmaki concluded his speech by discussing the Arab Cultural Heritage Award for Young , saying, "I would like to congratulate all the projects and their creators, wishing that this participation brings them the desired benefits and serves as a starting point for further development and success in the future."
His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah then viewed a video presentation showcasing all the participating works that qualified for the final stage across various categories. He thereafter honored the winners of the third edition of the Arab Cultural Heritage Award for Young . The first-place award in the drawing category went to students Saud Shahil Zamel Al Shahil from King Abdullah Middle School in Saudi Arabia, and Fahd Shahil Zamel Al Shahil from Al-Muqaddam Bin Amr School in Saudi Arabia. The second place was awarded to Maryam Younis Abdul Rahman Al Feel from the Applied Technology School in the United Arab Emirates, while Hala Dhafir Shaghleel secured third place from the New Vision School in the Syrian Arab Republic. A special commendation award in the drawing category was presented by the judging committee and the award management to recognise exceptional artistic works, which was received by Abdul Rahman Hassan Al Asaad from Al-Khansa Private School in the Syrian Arab Republic.
In the photography category, the first place went to Nadeem Abdul Rahman Ali Qaid from Al-Nibras Private School in Taiz, Yemen. The second place was awarded to Ruba Ali Abdul Rahim Tawalbeh from Loret Educational Academy in Jordan, while Selina Fakhr Al-Din from Haj Bahauddin Al Hariri School in Sidon, Lebanon, came in third place.
In the Folkloric Dance category, the first place was awarded to Al-Taqaddum School for Basic Education in Tripoli, Libya, for a dance representing Libyan attire. The second place went to Haj Bahauddin Hariri School in Sidon, Lebanon, for a folkloric dance performed at Khan Al-Ifranji. The third place, awarded jointly in the same category, was given to the Mayasam Association for Culture and Arts in Gaza, Palestine, for a Palestinian Dabka dance at the site of Saint Hilarion Monastery, Tel Umm Amer, and to the Rose City Mixed Basic School in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for a Dabka from ancient Jordanian heritage.
In the Awareness Film category, the first place was jointly awarded to Al-Firdaws Private School in Iraq for a short film titled "Mosul Markets," and to Al-Rawdah Al-Fayha Secondary School in Lebanon for a short film titled "Khan Al-Khayyatin in Tripoli." The second place was awarded to student Helen Muhammad Al-Bilal from Martyr Hikmat Nadeem Mubarak School in Homs, Syria, for a short film titled "One of the Khamsanat." Finally, the third place went to student Ritaj Boufateh from Al-Bashair Private School in Laghouat, Algeria, for a short film titled "From the Fragrance of Heritage."
His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah also honored the winning project of the fourth edition of the ‘ICCROM’-Sharjah Award for Good Practices in Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management in the Arab Region, which was awarded to the Cultural Heritage Management Project in Libya (MaLiCH). This project is recognized for its comprehensive approach to managing cultural heritage in the Ghadames area, focusing on community collaboration and capacity building. It addresses the challenges of restoring and rehabilitating traditional earthen buildings and managing them effectively and integratively to serve the local community.
In the category of special distinction, five other projects received commendation awards. These include the project for preserving the historic Souk Al Qissariya in Gaza, Palestine; the project "Heritage Dictionary: Management, Preservation, and Documentation of Ahmed Pasha Kamal's Dictionary" at the Alexandria Bibliotheca in Egypt; the project "Traditional Building Apprenticeship: Building National Capacities for the Preservation of Architectural Heritage in the Riyadh Region," Saudi Arabia; the project "Documenting Rock Art in Sharjah: From Traditional to Digital"; and the project for restoring the historic Touqan House, associated with the renowned figure Qudri and poets Fadwa and Ibrahim Touqan in Nablus, Palestine.
During the award ceremony, His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah toured the accompanying exhibition showcasing the most prominent works participating in the awards across different categories. His Highness listened to explanations regarding the details of the paintings, drawings, participating countries, and the efforts made by participants to qualify for the final stage of the award.
Attendees at the award ceremony included His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Fahim Bin Sultan bin Khalid Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Government Relations; Sheikh Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasimi, Director of Department of Government Relation ; Dr. Abdulaziz Al Musallam, Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage; Mohammed Obaid Al Zaabi, Head of the Protocol and Hospitality Department ; Aisha Rashid Dimas, Director General of the Sharjah Museums Authority; and several representatives from cultural organisations and institutions, as well as participants.
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