The Sharjah Institute for Heritage (SIH) received a delegation of summer centre students from North Al Batinah Governorate in the Sultanate of Oman, part of the 2026 Summer Centres programme, held under the slogan “Our Summer is Leadership and Creativity”.

The delegation was headed by Dr. Abdullah bin Saeed Al Busaidi, Chairman of the Executive Committee for Summer Centres in North Al Batinah Governorate, in a field visit coordinated with the Office of the Governor of North Al Batinah, aimed at introducing students to the institute’s mission in preserving cultural heritage and to its specialised programmes and initiatives.

Abubaker Al Kindi, Director of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, welcomed the delegation and took the students on a tour covering several of the institute’s key facilities and centres, including the Crafts Centre, the Heritage Library, the Manuscripts and Restoration Department, the building housing international cultural heritage organisations, and the Arab Heritage Centre.

Students learned about the institute’s work in documentation, research, rehabilitation and safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, and its role in preserving cultural memory and passing it on to future generations.

Students viewed a collection of heritage artefacts that documented aspects of authentic Emirati life and heard explanations of their historical and cultural value. They also observed part of the Al Rawi Summer Camp, learning about its interactive programmes designed to strengthen young people’s connection to heritage through innovative methods, making the visit a well-rounded experience combining learning with direct engagement.

Al Kindi said the institute aims to make student visits a comprehensive educational experience that highlights the value of heritage and the importance of preserving it.

“We believe that investing in young people’s awareness is the real guarantee of heritage’s sustainability, which is why we are keen to open the institute’s doors to them, so they can see up close the efforts made to preserve and safeguard our cultural heritage, and understand that heritage is not simply a past to be recounted, but a living identity and a future we build together,” he said.

Al Kindi added that the institute’s mission extends beyond preserving artefacts to raising public awareness and strengthening a sense of belonging through direct engagement with its facilities and programmes.

The visit forms part of cultural cooperation between the Sharjah Institute for Heritage and educational and youth institutions in Oman. It was organised at the request of the Office of the Governor of North Al Batinah to promote heritage awareness and the exchange of expertise among young people.

At the conclusion of the visit, Dr. Abdullah bin Saeed Al Busaidi thanked the Sharjah Institute for Heritage for its warm reception and organisation. He praised its initiatives in preserving cultural heritage, describing the visit as a valuable educational experience that deepened students’ appreciation of heritage and its role in strengthening cultural identity, while expressing hope for continued cooperation between the two sides.