Bodour Al Qasimi inaugurates Visitor Centre of Gateway to the Trucial States

SHARJAH, (Pakistan Point News - 27th Feb, 2019) Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Head of the Steering Committee of the "Sharjah: Gateway to the Trucial States", officially inaugurated the Visitor Centre, at Majlis Al Naboodah, Heart of Sharjah.

The new galleries present the nomination of heritage sites that the emirate seeks to include on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO.

Following the opening ceremony, Sheikha Bodour chaired the third meeting of the Steering Committee of "Sharjah: Gateway to the Trucial States" nomination filing. The meeting was attended by Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Musallam, Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage; Marwan Bin Jassim Al Sarkal, Executive Chairman of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority, Shurooq; Dr. Sabah Jassim, Director-General of Sharjah Archaeology Authority, SAA; Manal Ataya, Director-General of Sharjah Museums Authority,SMA; Amani Al Ali, Director of the Executive Office of Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, and Khuloud Al Houli, Director of "Sharjah: Gateway to the Trucial States" Management Office.

Committee members discussed the nomination and evaluation processes and explored updates of the nominated sites and plans of protection and management to ensure preserving their authenticity and integrity. They adopted a number of strategic decisions that will support the preservation of the cultural heritage and enhance mutual collaboration between cultural entities in the Emirate of Sharjah.

The attendees toured the visitor centre, which chronicles the history of Sharjah from 1820 to 1971 in three key galleries, each complementing the narrative of "Sharjah: Gateway to the Trucial States".

The first gallery unfolds the story of Sharjah’s history before, during and after the Trucial States period, highlighting the main events in which the emirate had a leading role on the local, regional and international scale, enhancing peace and security across the region and driving development and prosperity. The second gallery thematically links the serial sites spanning the emirate’s coast, desert and mountains through an interactive model. The third gallery is dedicated to highlighting the role of the historic town of Sharjah during the Trucial States period, introducing visitors to the urban and architectural layers of the town built over two centuries.

Alhouli said, "The Visitor Centre aims to introduce locals, tourists and residents to the role of Sharjah during the Trucial States period. While the region was an attraction to global powers, Al Qawasim’s political and economic wisdom was able to provide security and stability in the emirate. Backed by these strengths, Sharjah went on to play a leading role in cross-cultural communication through the development of security, communication and cultural exchange systems. Through interactive and modern models on display that enrich the visitors’ experience, the centre is founded to promote knowledge and awareness about the region’s history prior to the formation of the UAE."

The centre was developed by the management office in collaboration with Shurooq, SAA, and the SMA.