His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, during a tour of an exhibition organised by Sharjah Art Foundation at the newly inaugurated Photography Gallery in Al Manakh
His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated the Photography Gallery on Saturday. The new venue, housed in a restored former telecommunications building in the Al Manakh district near Kuwait Square, presents two exhibitions: Photographic Encounters along the Gulf Coasts and Image Keepers, both organised by Sharjah Art Foundation.
Official Reception
His Highness was received by Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, President and Director of Sharjah Art Foundation; Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Government Relations; Sheikha Nawar Al Qassimi, Director of Sharjah Art Foundation; Sheikha Hind Al Qasimi, Director of Sharjah Design Center; His Excellency Zaki Nusseibeh, Cultural Adviser to the President of the UAE; His Excellency Dr Mohamed Ould Amar, Director General of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO); as well as a number of senior officials and artists.
Touring the Photography Gallery
His Highness toured the Photography Gallery, the first public space in the UAE dedicated to the art of photography, comprising two exhibition galleries, a learning area for lectures and photography workshops, a studio and darkroom, as well as a café. This new space reflects Sharjah Art Foundation’s commitment to reviving historic buildings and transforming them into vibrant cultural spaces across the Emirate of Sharjah.
Restoration and Architectural Significance
The Ruler of Sharjah was briefed on various features of the building, a notable example of civic architecture from the 1970s. The restoration, based on an in-depth study of the building's historical and architectural phases, combines modernity and functionality while preserving its original aesthetic character.
Exhibition: Photographic Encounters Along the Gulf Coasts
His Highness visited the exhibition Photographic Encounters along the Gulf Coasts—a permanent display of 165 photographs and archival documents from his collection. The exhibition explores photography's role in shaping historical narratives of the Arabian Gulf, shedding light on the production and dissemination of knowledge during the colonial and postcolonial eras.
Comprising rarely seen photographs from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the exhibition presents images of people, places, and activities along the Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean coasts, portraying the region as a crossroads of trade and human connection. It also explores notions of power, class, gender, and ethnicity, revealing prevailing cultural attitudes.
The exhibition further highlights photography as an artistic medium, featuring glass slides and a magic lantern—an early projection device considered a precursor to the modern slide projector—offering insight into the technological innovations of the era.
As the photographer, date, and location for each image have not been conclusively established, the exhibition presents the collection as found artefacts. Some images have 'titles'; however, it is unclear who added them and when. Associations between texts and images may change over time, carrying multiple layers of reproduction, inscription, and interpretation.
Exhibition: Image Keepers
His Highness also visited the exhibition Image Keepers, on view from 8 November 2025 to 26 April 2026. Drawn from the Sharjah Art Foundation Collection, the works navigate the sociopolitical terrain of the last six decades amid the compressed and often fissured processes of modernisation and decolonisation.
The Ruler toured the lower floor, featuring works documenting portraits and diverse experiences across regions and time periods. These photographs capture expressions of ethnic, civic, and diasporic identities while revealing complex relationships formed between individuals and place. On the upper floor, photography is explored through diverse materials and methods, offering alternative ways of narrating history.
Sharjah Art Foundation is an advocate, catalyst and producer of contemporary art within the Emirate of Sharjah and the surrounding region, in dialogue with the international arts community. The Foundation advances an experimental and wide-ranging programmatic model that supports the production and presentation of contemporary art, preserves and celebrates the distinct culture of the region and encourages a shared understanding of the transformational role of art. The Foundation’s core initiatives include the long-running Sharjah Biennial, featuring contemporary artists from around the world; the annual March Meeting, a convening of international arts professionals and artists; grants and residencies for artists, curators and cultural producers; ambitious and experimental commissions and a range of travelling exhibitions and scholarly publications.
Established in 2009 to expand programmes beyond the Sharjah Biennial, which launched in 1993, the Foundation is a critical resource for artists and cultural organisations in the Gulf and a conduit for local, regional and international developments in contemporary art. The Foundation’s deep commitment to developing and sustaining the cultural life and heritage of Sharjah is reflected through year-round exhibitions, performances, screenings and educational programmes in the city of Sharjah and across the Emirate, often hosted in historic buildings that have been repurposed as cultural and community centres. A growing collection reflects the Foundation’s support of contemporary artists in the realisation of new work and its recognition of the contributions made by pioneering modern artists from the region and around the world.
Sharjah Art Foundation is a legally independent public body established by Emiri Decree and supported by government funding, grants from national and international nonprofits and cultural organisations, corporate sponsors and individual patrons. Hoor Al Qasimi serves as President and Director. All exhibitions are free and open to the public.
Sharjah is the third largest of the seven United Arab Emirates, and the only one bridging the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Reflecting the deep commitment to the arts, architectural preservation and cultural education embraced by its ruler, Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Sharjah is home to more than 20 museums and has long been known as the cultural hub of the United Arab Emirates. It was named UNESCO's Arab Capital of Culture for 1998 and the UNESCO World Book Capital for 2019.
Alyazeyah Al Marri
alyazeyah@sharjahart.org
+971 (0)6 5444113
His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, during a tour of an exhibition organised by Sharjah Art Foundation at the newly inaugurated Photography Gallery in Al Manakh