Heritage Nights Launch in Central Sharjah Amid Festive Ramadan Spirit and Strong Community Engagement
Sharjah – 27 February 2026
On Thursday evening, His Excellency Dr. Abdulaziz Al Musallam, Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, inaugurated the program and activities of the Heritage Nights at Al Sur Square in Central Sharjah of Sharjah, in the presence of His Excellency Abubakr Al Kindi, Director of the Institute, along with several department directors, officials, intellectuals, and heritage enthusiasts. The event opened amid vibrant Ramadan festivities marked by strong community participation and cultural engagement.
Attendees toured the heritage pavilions and exhibitions, explored traditional crafts, watched performances by folklore groups and traditional arts ensembles, and took part in interactive workshops designed for various age groups.
A Vibrant Cultural Canvas
In a warm Ramadan ambiance and with notable attendance, the events presented a lively cultural tableau. Since its launch, the program has drawn wide engagement from visitors and families, with activities ranging from folk performances and interactive programs for adults and youth to educational workshops highlighting Emirati heritage and methods of passing it on to new generations. The experience blended learning with enjoyment in an authentic Ramadan setting.
A Program that Strengthens Community Participation
The activities began with two workshops—loom weaving and pottery decoration—targeting adults and youth. Participants learned traditional craft techniques and decorative styles connected to the local environment, reviving elements of past daily life through a contemporary lens.
With special attention to younger generations, the program also includes children’s workshops such as drawing heritage motifs and crafting palm trees from paper. These activities aim to nurture artistic sensibilities while connecting children to cultural symbols through simple, interactive methods that reinforce heritage as part of their daily identity.
Workshops will continue in the coming days through a renewed program combining craft sessions for adults and youth with artistic activities for children, reflecting a vision to transform heritage into a living experience shared by the community.
Folk Arts and Chanting Illuminate the Nights
The venue hosted a diverse artistic evening reflecting the richness of Arab heritage, featuring traditional chanting, the whirling Mawlawiya performance, and the Egyptian tanoura dance. Upcoming nights will also include Iraqi tahalil chants and spiritual segments as part of an ongoing artistic program that renews itself throughout the event.
Al Musallam: Heritage Is a Living, Renewing Experience
Dr. Abdulaziz Al Musallam affirmed that Heritage Nights underscore the idea that heritage is a living, evolving experience expressed through crafts, performances, folk arts, and community events that allow people to interact with it and discover its values in daily life. He added that Ramadan provides an ideal space to revive this presence through its meanings of connection and social solidarity, noting that the events aim to present heritage as a unifying language between generations and a bridge linking past and present while strengthening belonging and identity.
Al Kindi: Program Diversity Broadens Participation
For his part, Abubakr Al Kindi explained that the diversity of the program—combining craft workshops, artistic performances, and children’s activities—helps broaden community participation and makes Heritage Nights an open space where culture meets Ramadan joy. He emphasized that the events will continue to offer renewed content reflecting the richness of heritage and reinforcing Sharjah’s role as a cultural center that celebrates tradition while presenting it to new generations through contemporary approaches.
Ramadan in Emirati Popular Memory
The Heritage Nights also hosted their first panel discussion, attended by Dr. Abdulaziz Al Musallam, titled “Ramadan in Emirati Popular Memory.” The session featured Dr. Rashid Al Mazrouei and Mr. Fahad Al Maamari, and was moderated by Dr. Salem Al Tunaiji. It explored the manifestations of the holy month in collective memory and the customs associated with it, past and present.