Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, said that the newly inaugurated House of Wisdom (HoW) – an iconic architectural marvel and Sharjah’s new cultural edifice, marks the opening of a new chapter that contributes to strengthening links between members of the community with their unique cultural identities. Congratulating the people of Sharjah and the UAE community on the new project that serves as an immersive space for learning, sharing, creating, and accessing knowledge for all age groups, Her Highness described the House of Wisdom as one of the most important pillars in Sharjah’s cultural landscape.

Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi’s remarks came during a visit to HoW, a benchmark of contemporary Arabic architecture reimagined as a library of the 21^st century, and which was inaugurated in December by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to celebrate the emirate’s year-long tenure as UNESCO World Book Capital 2019.

Her Highness said: “The far-sighted vision of the Ruler of Sharjah on the future of the emirate of Sharjah – what it should be and how it should be perceived, and his directives to realise this ambitious vision is embodied both in the several monuments and cultural and artistic centres that have been set up in the emirate and is also carried forward in Sharjah’s milestone accomplishments as an internationally recognised cultural hub, and a child and elderly-friendly, green city.”

Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher added: “Every nation has leaders who carve out pathways to development in different ways. Sharjah is fortunate to be under the leadership of Sheikh Sultan, a humane and wise scholar.”

“The House of Wisdom is a place that will bring together families, children, youth, and all residents of all nationalities and cultures to carry out their diverse passions and interests. It represents an integrated cultural community and is a model for future societies. The future of humanity lies not merely in new technologies and evolution of machines; it is also about relationships, effective interaction and communication, improved knowledge, and greater harmony between scientific advancements and the social and emotional development of humans. These can be attained through the House of Wisdom, and other centres of culture, science and social spaces that are found in the emirate of Sharjah,” said HH Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi.

Her Highness was received by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and Marwa Al Aqroubi, Director of HoW, in the presence of managers of entities operating under the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi.

Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi toured the monumental library which will be home to 305,000 books in various formats, languages, and topics. Her Highness visited the various sections at the cultural edifice and was briefed on the spaces dedicated to women and children, including the Ladies Diwan, and the children’s library for 3-10-year-olds that offers a great choice of books in both Arabic and English languages.

Her Highness was also briefed by the administrative officials at the House of Wisdom on the welcoming of visitors and how their needs and requests will be attended to, and the varied services and advanced technologies available for them, including 3D printing.

Her Highness concluded her tour with a walk through the landscaped gardens featuring 331 trees of 12 different species, overlooking the Sharjah World Book Capital 2019 monument, ‘The Scroll’.

Set on an elevated platform spanning 12,000 square metres, Sharjah’s House of Wisdom has been designed as an immersive space for learning and edutainment for all community segments. It contains multi-purpose facilities capable of hosting art galleries, theatre shows, lectures, seminars, meetings and other events.  The new cultural landmark in Sharjah comprises 15 lobbies and halls spread across two storeys. Key spaces include the Al Rasheed Hall, the Wisdom Vault, Al Ma’moun Exhibition, the Wisdom Square, the Ibn Duraid Reading Area, the Al Jazri Lab, the Al Jarhmi Library, and the Al Khawarizmi Exhibition.