2nd Heritage Conference refutes Western travellers’ writings on UAE

July 03, 2025 / 6:20 PM

Sharjah 24: Dr Mani Bounama, Director of the Content and Publishing Department at the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, explained that the programme of the Second Heritage Conference presented a critical perspective on the writings of Western travellers about the Arab region, particularly the United Arab Emirates.

Conference Highlights Critical Reflections

Dr Bounama stated that the programme held alongside the Second Heritage Conference — under the theme "Folk Heritage Through the Eyes of Others" — discussed a selection of valuable topics presented by a group of researchers. These researchers delivered interventions centred on the records and accounts written by Western travellers.

Understanding the Western Perception of the Region

In remarks to “Sharjah 24,” Bounama added that these academic approaches aim to understand the image that has formed in the Western mind through travel writings, impressions, and observations. He pointed out that the programme shed light on the most prominent manifestations and features that have remained embedded in the Western imagination about the Arab region.