SHARJAH, 2nd October, 2025 (WAM) -- Abdulaziz Al Musallam, Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage and Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee of the Sharjah International Narrator Forum, affirmed that the 25th edition, held under the theme "Tales of Travellers", has laid a strong foundation for a new phase in the forum’s journey.
He extended his gratitude to H.H. Sheikh Drز Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, for his patronage, guidance and continuous support for the forum and the Institute’s activities. He also expressed appreciation to the countries, organisations and institutions that contributed to the forum’s success at both local and international levels.
This edition saw participants from 37 countries and more than 90 storytellers, researchers and academics. Among them were 33 storytellers, 56 contributors to the scientific programme and three trainers delivering specialised workshops. The forum also hosted over 100 workshops and launched 40 new publications under the Eyes of Journeys series and the Arab Travel Blog, reinforcing its position as a unique global reference for storytelling, travel literature and narrative arts.
Across six days of discussions and seminars, participants put forward recommendations, including the creation of an encyclopedia of Arab travel literature, a comprehensive atlas of travellers’ tales and the use of geographical manuscripts to reconstruct ancient cities. They also highlighted the importance of harnessing artificial intelligence to serve Arab and Islamic heritage, conducting comparative studies with global travel literature, and involving university students in sessions to promote openness and knowledge exchange.
Aisha Rashid Al Hussan Al Shamsi, Director of the Arab Centre for Cultural Heritage and General Coordinator of the forum, said new initiatives this year included the launch of the Visual Storytelling Workshop, the Dialect Laboratory and the first edition of the Narrator Programme for adult storytellers.
The forum honoured Mohammed Ahmed Al Murr of the UAE as Honourary Personality, Italian academic Claudia Maria as Cultural Personality, and awarded Loyalty Awards to Emirati scholar Ali Al Shaloubi and Moroccan artist Amina Kousto.
Six exhibitions were staged, including Tales of Travellers, Around the World by Mohammed Al Murr, and Travel Literature by Mohammed Sadiq, alongside works by Meera Al Qasimi, Ibrahim Al Buraidi and Amina Kousto. The Maldives, Guest of Honour, showcased its heritage through artistic and musical performances.
The closing ceremony featured a Maldivian cultural performance and a short documentary highlighting the forum’s milestones. Al Musallam honoured strategic partners and institutions, including the University of Sharjah, Zhejiang University in China, the Higher Institute of Folk Arts in Egypt, the University of Turin in Italy, Qatar National Library and MBC Academy, alongside local bodies such as the Environment and Protected Areas Authority and the Museum of Islamic Civilisation.
Al Musallam said this wide-ranging support reflects the commitment of cultural institutions and the community to strengthening national identity and consolidating Sharjah’s position as a global beacon of culture and heritage.