Sultan Al Qasimi: Sharjah's inclusion in creative cities is a global recognition of our heritage

His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, said that the selection of UNESCO to the Emirate of Sharjah as part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) Creative Cities Network comes as a natural consequence of the Emirate's approach to promoting intergenerational relations. Through their heritage, their crafts and skills reflect the identity of the people, their culture and the arts throughout history.

He pointed out that this global recognition of the status of crafts and arts in Sharjah, is the culmination of the efforts exerted by Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, through sponsoring and directing the efforts and initiatives of the «Heritage» Council for Contemporary Crafts, affiliated to Nama Foundation for the advancement of women. He explained that Her Highness' vision of the emirate's position among the global innovation centers is realized every day, and with every achievement made by the society that she sponsors, and works with him in order to be cohesive, belonging and effective.

Sharjah is the only Arab city listed among the `` Crafts and Folklore '' category of 2019, the first city in the Gulf, and one of six Arab cities listed this year, including the Lebanese capital Beirut and Iraqi Sulaimaniya as the cities of literature, and the Palestinian cities of Ramallah and Essaouira Morocco as the cities of music, and Muharraq in Bahrain for the design category. His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah said: “We congratulate Sharjah on this merit, which we consider very important because of its direct relationship to our identity and our history. We are keen to continue the traditional crafts with each generation, and not to lose and disappear, because its loss or weak presence in the culture and daily practice `` It constitutes a separation of the citizen from his history, culture and the roots of his identity, and constitutes the beginning of the disintegration of the special experience and the disappearance of its features that distinguish it from other nations.What we are today an effective cultural movement would not have been achieved without the presence of our history with all its components in our culture and awareness. ''

He added that «the character of peoples and their manual skills in the production of daily needs and tools, was and will continue to be an indicator of the productivity, unity and cohesion of the community, so when we read about the history of peoples we tend to understand their crafts and industries and the skills of their children, and monitor the course of their development and how they respond to the needs of people growing».

His Highness continued: «We want anyone who read the history of Sharjah and the UAE or the history of our nation to witness the components of this civilization, and to touch the extent of the development of society and the participation of all components in the process of production and creativity».

Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, President of Nama Foundation for the Advancement of Women, Founder and Honorary President of the Arthi Contemporary Craft Council, said: With this vision, Sharjah has become the incubator of the UAE heritage, the center of investment in traditional crafts and the leader of its renovation project. ”

She added: “Thanks to the directives of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, and the efforts and dedication of those working in the preservation and renewal of heritage, especially the Heritage Council of Contemporary Crafts, affiliated with Nama Foundation for the Advancement of Women, we have been able to transform popular culture with its crafts, arts and creations into institutions with programs, strategies and plans. Involving society with its men, women, youth, girls and even children in celebrating, embracing and developing heritage. ” Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi said: “The Heritage Council has been able to highlight the status of traditional crafts and arts and initiatives based on their development and renewal in the emirate. “We have to view this achievement as a great merit, and a greater responsibility to continue to work and innovate new ways of protecting heritage and presenting it to the world as part of our identity and culture.”

She pointed out that the global celebration of Sharjah between the list of creative cities in its crafts and traditional arts, based on a long history of producing all forms of heritage from work and fishing tools to decorations and collectibles of houses and people, and all forms of artistic creativity that reflects the historical relationship between the UAE society and folklore.

Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi explained that the file presented by UNESCO's Contemporary Crafts Council was an intense portrayal of the history of Emirati crafts and arts, and that the choice of Sharjah was not the result of a single project, but rather a long march in which crafts, arts and community skills developed.

She noted that the protection of heritage and authentic crafts cannot be achieved without the will and awareness of the community. This universal recognition of the status of crafts and arts in Sharjah is a tribute to the UAE society, which is rooted in its identity as the only gateway to building a true civilization. “We are proud of the women, girls and young people who see them practicing handicrafts at local and international events.

Ruler of Sharjah:

"We congratulate Sharjah on this merit, which we consider important because of its direct relationship to our identity."

"We are keen to continue the traditional crafts with each generation, and not to waste and disappear."

Jewels of Al Qasimi:

"The choice was not the result of a single project, but of a process in which crafts and arts developed."

"We are proud of handicraft practitioners, and we say to them: You are the protectors of our popular heritage and culture."

66 cities

Sharjah has been listed by UNESCO as one of the innovative cities, which this year included 66 new cities from around the world. UNESCO has chosen the emirate for “crafts and folklore” in recognition of its long and great efforts in reviving the local Emirati heritage and investing in its handicraft industries. It opens up local opportunities to share experiences between them and the different crafts of their counterparts from world cultures.