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The event opened with a warm welcome to attendees, followed by a short film highlighting the award’s journey since its inception. Dr Abdulaziz Al Musallam, chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage and chair of the award’s board of trustees, delivered the keynote address, emphasising that the award embodies the Ruler of Sharjah’s vision for supporting cultural heritage and honouring its custodians. He noted that Sharjah has become a global model in safeguarding and promoting heritage. Dr Al Musallam stated that Sharjah launched this award as an international platform to acknowledge excellence in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. Today, we celebrate scholars, researchers, and storytellers who have left a clear mark in protecting our shared human legacy by underscoring Sharjah’s leadership as a bridge for cultural dialogue worldwide.
Ms. Aisha Rashid Al-Husan Al-Shamsi, Director of the Award, affirmed that this fifth edition continues the award’s successful legacy, which is now firmly established among specialised cultural awards. She explained that the award realises the vision of the Ruler of Sharjah in protecting heritage and celebrating its guardians. This year, it also introduces ‘Heritage Personality of the Year’ to honour those who have devoted their lives to its preservation. She praised the combined efforts of the organising teams, juries, and supporting entities, which made this event a triumph.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Humaid Al Qasimi, accompanied by Dr Abdulaziz Al Musallam and Ms Aisha Al Husan, invited the winners to the stage to commence the awards presentation for this edition of the Sharjah International Award for Cultural Heritage.
Dr Najeeb Abdullah Al Shamsi from the UAE was named Heritage Personality of the Year in recognition of his decades of research and community work in preserving Emirati heritage and preventing its erosion.
The fifth edition saw distinguished entries from around the globe, distributed across three main domains—local, Arab and international—and nine categories. In the category of Best Conservation Practices, the local award went to the Sharjah Quran Academy for its submission “The Role of the Academy in Preserving Arabic Manuscript Heritage”. The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts in Saudi Arabia won the Arab award for its study of traditional wooden door craft in Najd. The international award was claimed by the Malaibar Foundation for Research and Development for its “Malabar Digitisation Initiative”.
In the Narrators and Heritage Bearers category, the local storyteller award went to Muhina Ali Obaid Al Sureidi, the Arab Narrator Award was presented to Salman bin Abdullah bin Ahmad Al Hamad of Saudi Arabia, and the international storyteller award was won by Elizabeth Weir of Ireland.
In the Research and Studies in Cultural Heritage category, Dr Aisha Ali Ahmed Al Ghaith Al Zaabi received the local research award for her study, “Traditional Performing Arts and Folk Songs in the UAE.” The Arab research accolade was given to Saeed bin Abdullah bin Mubarak Al Farsi of Oman for his research on constancy and change in Omani fishing traditions, with a case study on North Al Batinah Governorate. The international research award was given to Jean Lambert of France for his study of the qanbūs, a short-necked lute originating in Yemen.
The award also honoured several supporting organisations and he expert jury members.
Established by Emiri Decree No. 19 of 2017, the Sharjah International Award for Cultural Heritage is the first Arab award of its kind with a global scope in preserving intangible heritage. The award aims to spotlight outstanding conservation practices, celebrate storytellers, and encourage research that sustains cultural heritage. Academic, cultural, and media institutions worldwide participate in a distinguished ceremony annually to present the award.
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