Sharjah, 5 November 2026
His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member
and Ruler of Sharjah, received a delegation of scholars and experts in archiving and
documentation from Portugal and India, in the presence of Her Highness Sheikha
Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), at the
Dr. Sultan Al-Qasimi Centre on Thursday morning.
The delegation included Dr Luís Filipe Santos, Director-General for Books, Archives and
Libraries at the Portuguese National Archives; Dr Balaji Shinoy, Director of the Archives
Department of the Government of Goa, India; Dr Albano Figueiredo, Dean of the
Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Coimbra; Dr José Pedro de Matos
Paiva, Professor of History and Deputy Director of the Department of History, European
Studies, Archaeology and Arts at the University of Coimbra; and Dr Rui Carina, an
archaeology specialist.
His Highness led the meeting, welcoming the fair’s guests, and highlighted Sharjah’s
commitment to strengthening cultural and intellectual exchange and to fruitful
cooperation with scientific and academic institutions worldwide. The Sharjah Ruler
noted that such engagements help develop expertise across various fields.
His Highness affirmed that the Sharjah International Book Fair serves as an annual
cultural and intellectual platform that brings the world together in the emirate, supports
the book and publishing industry, and showcases Sharjah’s identity and its passion for
readers and books.
His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi praised Sharjah’s distinguished relations with
several specialised documentation and archiving institutions worldwide. The Sharjah
Ruler underlined that cooperation between the emirate and various universities and
scientific institutions have contributed to pioneering intellectual projects, particularly in
the fields of manuscript verification, authorship and writing. This cooperation has also
enriched Arab and international libraries with rare and important publications
documenting history.
The meeting discussed the importance of scientific cooperation between research and
documentation centres worldwide in the field of historical manuscripts and rare
documents, which help advance knowledge and provide researchers with valuable
resources. Such cooperation also encourages scientific research through writing,
rigorous analysis and the documentation of historical events in chronological order. The
meeting also highlighted the role of archiving and documentation in preserving the
history of nations and peoples, enabling researchers and scholars to explore historical
accounts, exchange knowledge and ensure that historical records are accurately
preserved for future generations without distortion or alteration.
Dr Albano Figueiredo delivered a speech on behalf of the visiting delegation, expressing
gratitude to His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah for the warm welcome and for the
continued cooperation between the Emirate of Sharjah and the University of Coimbra
across numerous research and scientific projects. He also praised His Highness’s
commitment to fostering communication and cooperation with academic institutions
worldwide, which has established Sharjah as an academic beacon and a leading centre
for science, knowledge and books.
Figueiredo praised the continued success of the Sharjah International Book Fair, which
continues to grow each year. He noted that the significant efforts of His Highness in the
fields of knowledge, scientific research, authorship and writing, together with His
Highness’s visionary approach to human development and to building society through
science and knowledge, serve as an inspiration and a model for the world to follow.
At the end of his speech, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the
University of Coimbra outlined the progress of work at the university’s Centre for Arabic
Studies, which was inaugurated under the generous patronage and unwavering support
of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah. He provided a detailed overview of the centre’s
activities and its success in launching numerous initiatives focused on the Arabic
language and its teaching and learning. These include lectures, conferences,
exhibitions, film screenings, poetry readings and other activities that promote the
presence and dissemination of Arab culture in Portugal.
Prior to the meeting, His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah accompanied the visiting
delegation on a tour of the various sections of the Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre, where
they explored its collection of rare historical and scientific artefacts.
The delegation toured the library’s Arabic and foreign-language sections, the
documents and photographs section, and the geographical maps illustrating the region’s
history. They were introduced to the various services the centre provides to researchers
and scholars, drawing on its valuable references, books, documents and rare maps,
which shed light on the history of the region and the world.
His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah provided the delegation with the document’s journey,
from Old Portuguese to modern Portuguese, followed by historical verification and
translation into English. The document then undergoes two further stages: verification
and annotation in Arabic, after which it is ready for publication. The example presented
by His Highness included several important observations drawn from his extensive
expertise in documentation, historical research and manuscript verification. His
Highness also explained the complete manuscript of the Portuguese officer Duarte
Barbosa, which had been missing from libraries for nearly 100 years. His Highness
acquired it in 2012, verified and published it in 2017 under the title A Journey of Great
Importance, in Arabic, English and Portuguese. The book was published by Al Qasimi
Publications in Sharjah.
During the tour, His Highness showcased rare examples of Portuguese documents from
the original Portuguese archives. By referring to these documents, His Highness verified
historical events, filled information gaps, and established connections across different
historical periods. His Highness also drew on sources from Portuguese historians who
witnessed the events, in turn providing researchers and scholars worldwide with a
comprehensive, authenticated archive. This has contributed to rigorous historical
scholarship on the Portuguese presence in the region and around the world.
At the end of the meeting, His Highness received a selection of books and reference
works on archiving, history and documentation, published by the University of Coimbra
in Portugal.
