Sharjah Ruler Witnesses Signing of $6 Million Agreement to Digitise UNESCO’s Global Archive
Paris, France – A historic moment unfolded in the cultural record of Sharjah as H.H Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, witnessed the signing of a strategic agreement between the Sharjah Book Authority and UNESCO to digitize the organization’s global archive. The initiative, backed by a generous $6 million grant from the Authority, reflects His Highness’s vision of preserving humanity’s heritage and ensuring sustainable access for future generations.
The agreement, signed by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority, aims to digitize over 2.5 million pages of documents, images, and recordings that trace UNESCO’s history since its founding in 1945. With only 5% of the archive currently digitized, Sharjah’s involvement will see the remaining 95% preserved over the next five years, positioning the emirate as a global leader in safeguarding the memory of the world.
In parallel, UNESCO honored H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan for his outstanding achievement in leading the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language, which has now been officially archived within UNESCO’s library. The ceremony, held under the theme “Arabic: A Bridge Between Heritage and Knowledge,” was attended by H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi and many distinguished officials, ambassadors and cultural figures.
In his address, H.H. Sheikh Sultan said:
“Today we stand at a historic moment for the Arabic language, where scholarship meets heritage, and decades of diligent work documenting the language of the Qur’an and civilization are honored.”
On the sidelines of the ceremony, the Emirates Scholar Center for Research and Studies, a subsidiary of Emirates Science and Research Foundation, proudly reaffirmed its key role in the dictionary project. The Center is currently leading efforts to transform the dictionary into an AI-powered interactive platform (Almojam GPT), offering intelligent, rapid access to word roots and their semantic evolution across history, making this linguistic legacy more accessible to researchers, educators and students around the world.
This initiative reflects the UAE’s and Sharjah’s continued commitment to merging cultural heritage with modern technology, elevating their global standing in knowledge preservation and innovation. The joint project between Sharjah and UNESCO stands as a living model of how cultural cities can carry forward a noble humanitarian mission: building bridges of dialogue and understanding across civilizations.
The Emirates Scholar Center remains dedicated to developing advanced digital knowledge solutions that preserve and document the Arab world’s linguistic and cultural memory, advancing the UAE’s national vision of a future built on deep understanding and cultural openness.
