Breaking Ground In Sharjah

IT HAS NO record-breaking buildings such as Dubai's Burj Khalifa or Abu Dhabi's Louvre Museum. Instead, the Emirate of Sharjah has put itself on the map as the cultural hub of the Arab World for its work in preserving and promoting culture at the local, Arab and Islamic levels. In 1998, UNESCO conferred Cultural Capital of the Arab World status on Sharjah, and it was named Capital of Islamic Culture in 2014 by the Organisation of Islamic Countries.

Much of Sharjah's direction has been driven by its ruler Sheikh Dr Sultan Al Qasimi, who famously declared in 1982: "Enough of the concrete revolution, let us shift to empowering people instead."

Since then, he has invested in people and universities, raising awareness of local and regional environmental issues, civil rights and anti-colonial struggles.