The meeting took place at Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi Centre in University City, where the Ruler of Sharjah welcomed the Egyptian library official and reviewed shared priorities in culture and education. According to the Emirates News Agency, discussions touched on activating joint initiatives that align with Sharjah’s longstanding support for Arab cultural institutions. The Ruler affirmed the emirate’s belief in culture as a driver of societal development, a position he has articulated across multiple public statements and authored works over decades.
This reception builds on an established framework of collaboration between Sharjah bodies and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The Sharjah Institute for Heritage signed a memorandum of understanding with the library in May 2023 that focused on preserving tangible and intangible heritage through expertise exchange and joint research, an institute announcement at the time stated. That accord has facilitated projects including documentation portals and co-publishing that advance mutual objectives in cultural safeguarding.
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina operates as a major global center for scholarship with extensive holdings in manuscripts, books and digital archives, according to the institution’s official descriptions. Dr. Ahmed Zayed has pursued partnerships with Gulf cultural entities to broaden the library’s international outreach, a pattern evident in multiple engagements with UAE representatives. A delegation from Sharjah’s House of Wisdom visited the facility in February 2025 during the Cairo International Book Fair to examine potential areas for further alignment, the Emirates News Agency reported at the time.
Topics during Tuesday’s talks included possibilities for expanded digitization work and professional training exchanges that could draw on Sharjah’s prior success in making rare Arabic texts available online. WAM noted that such efforts complement the emirate’s investments in libraries and academies dedicated to Arabic language and heritage studies. The Director conveyed appreciation for Sharjah’s contributions to regional cultural dialogue during the session.
Sharjah’s cultural output has included designations such as UNESCO Capital of Arab Culture and sustained funding for heritage initiatives that have produced dictionaries, museums and public libraries, according to records from the Sharjah Book Authority. These programs have positioned the emirate as a hub for intellectual exchange across the Arab world. The latest meeting with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Director fits within this trajectory of international outreach.
Similar visits and agreements have marked relations between UAE cultural organizations and Egyptian institutions in recent years, a library sector review from the Bibliotheca Alexandrina indicated. Dr. Zayed has repeatedly stressed the value of cross-border cooperation in preserving shared civilizational legacies. Officials from both sides agreed to maintain communication on concrete follow-up steps emerging from the discussion.
