Sharjah Arabic Studies Centre was inaugurated in Portugal by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah and Member of the UAE’s Supreme Council. The event took place at the historic University of Coimbra, one of Europe’s oldest universities and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sheikh Sultan arrived with Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi. And a high-level delegation to open the Sharjah Arabic Studies Centre. Locals and students gathered at the Faculty of Letters as the Sharjah National Band performed traditional Emirati music. The ceremony symbolised cultural exchange between the UAE and Portugal.
Amilcar Falcão, Rector of the University of Coimbra, said the new centre will serve as a hub for dialogue, research, and academic collaboration between Arab and European institutions. It aims to strengthen cultural and scientific ties through education and mutual understanding.
Sheikh Sultan also visited the Joanina Biblioteca, a 300-year-old baroque library. Researchers, in cooperation with the Sharjah Book Authority, are digitising 30,000 ancient books, preserving about 20 million pages of history. Sheikh Sultan donated a rare 16th-century book by Duarte Barbosa and his own work A Voyage of Extreme Importance.
The Sharjah Arabic Studies Centre represents a new chapter in promoting Arabic culture and scholarship abroad. It reflects Sharjah’s continued commitment to heritage, education, and global cultural dialogue.
