Sheikh Sultan inaugurates Photography Gallery in Al Manakh district

His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated the Photography Gallery on Saturday.

The new venue, housed in a restored former telecommunications building in the Al Manakh district near Kuwait Square, presents two exhibitions: Photographic Encounters along the Gulf Coasts and Image Keepers, both organised by Sharjah Art Foundation.

Sheikh Sultan was received by Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, President and Director of Sharjah Art Foundation; Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Government Relations; Sheikha Nawar Al Qassimi, Director of Sharjah Art Foundation; Sheikha Hind Al Qasimi, Director of Sharjah Design Center; Zaki Nusseibeh, Cultural Adviser to the President of the UAE; Dr Mohamed Ould Amar, Director General of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation (ALECSO); as well as a number of senior officials and artists.

Sheikh Sultan toured the Photography Gallery, the first public space in the UAE dedicated to the art of photography, comprising two exhibition galleries, a learning area for lectures and photography workshops, a studio and darkroom, as well as a café.

This new space reflects Sharjah Art Foundation’s commitment to reviving historic buildings and transforming them into vibrant cultural spaces across the Emirate of Sharjah.

The Ruler of Sharjah was briefed on various features of the building, a notable example of civic architecture from the 1970s. The restoration, based on an in-depth study of the building's historical and architectural phases, combines modernity and functionality while preserving its original aesthetic character.

Sheikh Sultan visited the exhibition Photographic Encounters along the Gulf Coasts—a permanent display of 165 photographs and archival documents from his collection.

The exhibition explores photography's role in shaping historical narratives of the Arabian Gulf, shedding light on the production and dissemination of knowledge during the colonial and postcolonial eras.

Comprising rarely seen photographs from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the exhibition presents images of people, places, and activities along the Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean coasts, portraying the region as a crossroads of trade and human connection. It also explores notions of power, class, gender, and ethnicity, revealing prevailing cultural attitudes.

The exhibition further highlights photography as an artistic medium, featuring glass slides and a magic lantern—an early projection device considered a precursor to the modern slide projector—offering insight into the technological innovations of the era.

As the photographer, date, and location for each image have not been conclusively established, the exhibition presents the collection as found artefacts. Some images have 'titles'; however, it is unclear who added them and when. Associations between texts and images may change over time, carrying multiple layers of reproduction, inscription, and interpretation.

Sheikh Sultan also visited the exhibition Image Keepers, on view from 8 November 2025 to 26 April 2026. Drawn from the Sharjah Art Foundation Collection, the works navigate the sociopolitical terrain of the last six decades amid the compressed and often fissured processes of modernisation and decolonisation.

The Ruler toured the lower floor, featuring works documenting portraits and diverse experiences across regions and time periods.

These photographs capture expressions of ethnic, civic, and diasporic identities while revealing complex relationships formed between individuals and place. On the upper floor, photography is explored through diverse materials and methods, offering alternative ways of narrating history.