UOS, Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation sign agreement
MoU sets out a shared vision for fostering innovation in Arab intellectual
The MoU sets out a shared vision for fostering innovation in Arab intellectual discourse through a variety of programs, publications, and events that reflect both parties' commitment to advancing cultural dialogue and knowledge across the region. The partnership will facilitate the coordination of research endeavors, collaborative publishing projects, and the joint organization of conferences, exhibitions, and academic workshops. It also serves as a platform for developing unified strategies to support Arab scholarly and creative output, expand resource databases on intellectual and cultural figures, and embark on research projects that explore pressing regional topics.
A dynamic platform for constructive cooperation between academic and cultural institutions
Dr Salah Taher Al Haj described the agreement as a dynamic platform for constructive cooperation between academic and cultural institutions. He emphasized the UOS's continuous efforts to expand its engagement with leading cultural organizations, noting that such partnerships can produce high-impact initiatives that reinforce both the scientific and cultural roles of the University at national and regional levels. He added that the University of Sharjah is deeply committed to using its academic strengths and expertise to serve the broader community through research, education, and cultural enrichment.
Reflecting on the significance of the agreement, Ibrahim Al Hashemi of the Al Owais Foundation expressed his pride in partnering with a leading institution like the University of Sharjah. He highlighted the University's enduring role as a beacon of culture and scholarship in the Emirates and praised the alignment of its activities with the foundation's mission to foster an open and progressive cultural environment. 'This agreement celebrates an intersection where academic rigor meets cultural depth,' he said. 'We look forward to implementing joint initiatives and benefiting from the knowledge and expertise of the UOS's academic staff, thereby reinforcing intellectual output and embedding knowledge more deeply in society.'
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Gulf Today
12 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Chaos, gangs, gunfire: Gaza aid fails to reach most needy
The trickle of food aid Israel allows to enter Gaza after nearly 22 months of war is seized by Palestinians risking their lives under fire, looted by gangs or diverted in chaotic circumstances rather than reaching those most in need, UN agencies, aid groups and analysts say. After images of malnourished children stoked an international outcry, aid has started to be delivered to the territory once more but on a scale deemed woefully insufficient by international organisations. Every day, AFP correspondents on the ground see desperate crowds rushing towards food convoys or the sites of aid drops by Arab and European air forces. On Thursday, in Al-Zawayda in central Gaza, emaciated Palestinians rushed to pallets parachuted from a plane, jostling and tearing packages from each other in a cloud of dust. "Hunger has driven people to turn on each other. People are fighting each other with knives," Amir Zaqot, who came seeking aid, told the media. Palestinians climbo onto a truck as they seek for aid supplies that entered Gaza through Israel in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, on Friday. Reuters To avoid disturbances, World Food Programme (WFP) drivers have been instructed to stop before their intended destination and let people help themselves. But to no avail. "A truck wheel almost crushed my head, and I was injured retrieving the bag," sighed a man, carrying a bag of flour on his head, in the Zikim area, in the northern Gaza Strip. 'Truly tragic' Mohammad Abu Taha went at dawn to a distribution site near Rafah in the south to join the queue and reserve his spot. He said there were already "thousands waiting, all hungry, for a bag of flour or a little rice and lentils." Palestinians transport gallons of clean water from a distribution point in Gaza City. AFP "Suddenly, we heard gunshots..... There was no way to escape. People started running, pushing and shoving each other, children, women, the elderly," said the 42-year-old. "The scene was truly tragic: blood everywhere, wounded, dead." Nearly 1,400 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip while waiting for aid since May 27, the majority by the Israeli army, the United Nations said on Friday. The Israeli army denies any targeting, insisting it only fires "warning shots" when people approach too close to its positions. International organisations have for months condemned the restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities on aid distribution in Gaza, including refusing to issue border crossing permits, slow customs clearance, limited access points, and imposing dangerous routes. On Tuesday, in Zikim, the Israeli army "changed loading plans for WFP, mixing cargo unexpectedly. The convoy was forced to leave early, without proper security," said a senior UN official who spoke on condition of anonymity. In the south of Gaza, at the Kerem Shalom border crossing, "there are two possible routes to reach our warehouses (in central Gaza)," said an NGO official, who also preferred to remain anonymous. "One is fairly safe, the other is regularly the scene of fighting and looting, and that's the one we're forced to take." 'Darwinian experiment' Some of the aid is looted by gangs -- who often directly attack warehouses -- and diverted to traders who resell it at exorbitant prices, according to several humanitarian sources and experts. "It becomes this sort of Darwinian social experiment of the survival of the fittest," said Muhammad Shehada, visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). Palestinians climb onto trucks as they seek for aid supplies that entered Gaza through Israel in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip. Reuters "People who are the most starved in the world and do not have the energy must run and chase after a truck and wait for hours and hours in the sun and try to muscle people and compete for a bag of flour," he said. Jean Guy Vataux, emergency coordinator for Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Gaza, added: "We're in an ultra-capitalist system, where traders and corrupt gangs send kids to risk life and limb at distribution points or during looting. It's become a new profession." This food is then resold to "those who can still afford it" in the markets of Gaza City, where the price of a 25-kilogramme bag of flour can exceed $400, he added. 'Never found proof' Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of looting aid supplied by the UN, which has been delivering the bulk of aid since the start of the war triggered by the Palestinian group Hamas's October 2023 attack. A Palestinian man carries a bag of humanitarian aid he received at the Rafah corridor in the southern Gaza Strip. 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AFP Weakened by the war with Israel which has seen most of its senior leadership killed, Hamas today is made up of "basically decentralised autonomous cells" said Shehada. He said while Hamas fighers still hunker down in each Gaza neighbourhood in tunnels or destroyed buildings, they are not visible on the ground "because Israel has been systematically going after them". Aid workers told AFP that during the ceasefire that preceded the March blockade, the Gaza police -- which includes many Hamas members -- helped secure humanitarian convoys, but that the current power vacuum was fostering insecurity and looting. "UN agencies and humanitarian organisations have repeatedly called on Israeli authorities to facilitate and protect aid convoys and storage sites in our warehouses across the Gaza Strip," said Bushra Khalidi, policy lead at Oxfam. "These calls have largely been ignored," she added. 'All kinds of criminal activities' The Israeli army is also accused of having equipped Palestinian criminal networks in its fight against Hamas and of allowing them to plunder aid. "The real theft of aid since the beginning of the war has been carried out by criminal gangs, under the watch of Israeli forces, and they were allowed to operate in proximity to the Kerem Shalom crossing point into Gaza," Jonathan Whittall, Palestinian territories chief of the UN humanitarian office (OCHA), told reporters in May. A Palestinian man who was injured while seeking humanitarian aid at the Rafah corridor, is carried into a field hospital in the Mawasi area of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. AFP According to Israeli and Palestinian media reports, an armed group called the Popular Forces, made up of members of a Bedouin tribe led by Yasser Abu Shabab, is operating in the southern region under Israeli control. 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Al Etihad
6 days ago
- Al Etihad
The ‘master of bishts': Emirati safeguards 150 years of history in museum of traditional clothing
30 July 2025 00:43 AMEINAH ALZEYOUDI (ABU DHABI)Husam Mohammad Jaber's father once prayed for him to become a 'master of bishts' — and he told himself, why not? Today, with a collection of some of the rarest and most valuable bishts and traditional garments, Jaber has more than earned the title.'I was obsessed with the threads that bind us to our ancestors, not just with history,' said the Emirati historian who has become a go-to consultant for anything related to UAE knew every detail of the bisht by heart. It has become his personal mission to preserve the regal cloak that men in the region have worn for generations. It was a passion that started when he was a child, when he met the UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Jaber told Aletihad . He saw him face-to-face twice in the '80s and since then, he couldn't help but browse through Sheikh Zayed's images every chance he got.'I observed Sheikh Zayed's hunting trips and photos closely, comparing them with my grandfather's only picture that was hanging on our wall ... As a kid, my interest was to find the links — obviously in the costumes,' Jaber father nurtured the fascination. Once, he returned from Bahrain with a unique gift for the young Jaber: a traditional Arab dress made especially for him.'I felt differently acknowledged after receiving that gift,' he later, during his engagement, his father sent a bag full of childhood souvenirs, including old clothes, school certificates, and two tiny then found a way to return his father's quiet acts of love.'I asked him to choose a bisht for me, based on what he thought was best from his own experience. He went with me to see several options and I made him choose what he preferred to see me wearing. I gifted that bisht to him. I knew he wouldn't spend that time and effort to choose his own bisht,' Jaber said.'He was very touched and prayed that I become the master of bishts and a bisht shop owner.' Searching for Treasures The blessing planted a seed for what would later become Al Besht Al Arabi, a brand Jaber founded in than a business, it is a cultural preservation initiative dedicated to reviving traditional craftsmanship and raising public awareness about the significance, history, and the etiquette involved in wearing the Emirati wasn't profitable, Jaber admitted, but it stayed true to its mission. 'I used rare materials so I had only a few customers … but I would still give away bishts for free just to spread knowledge,' he his fascination for traditional garments, Jaber also travelled far and wide, searched high and low for some of the rarest bishts and traditional Arab clothing that stood the test of time. He paid a fortune for them, too.'It's extremely rare to find old clothes — add to that is a habit in the past to throw clothes into the sea once a person passes away,' he challenge is the fabric. 'The clothes don't stay for long, especially in heat and humidity, and after folding. Any piece would be used until it's torn apart or damaged. For those woven with golden threads, the threads used to be released and sold again,' he factors have made his collection all the more rare and currently owns one of the most distinctive and historically noteworthy collections of traditional Gulf clothing, which includes agals, shawls, and bishts from as far back as the worn for more than 150 years by people in the Arab world — from shepherds to rulers — are among his most prized possessions.'The museum is a national project that is 100% personally funded. It helps authenticate and document our national costumes, and it has become a solid base for any related project that helps in cultural preservation in the UAE,' Jaber said. 'Proud of My Arab Roots' His purpose goes beyond curating. Jaber has also advocated for a realistic depiction of Arab identity in the cinema and television industries. 'I am very proud of my Arab roots, and it used to offend me to watch a movie where Arabs don't look as they should — elegant,' Jaber told Aletihad . He would immediately notice if a film set in the 19th century featured clothing from the 21st century. He volunteered to create traditional costumes for one production at no expense, but only if he was present on site to make sure they were worn correctly. His insistence on cultural correctness was highly appreciated, and that opportunity led to other collaborations on movies like Desert Warrior, Fast and Furious 8, and North of the 10.'Our national identity is embodied in our dress, which is more than just fabric,' he said. To those who wear traditional Emirati clothing, he said: 'As long as you are wearing the national costume, you are an ambassador of this country, whether you like it or not — so behave accordingly.' Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
Sharjah 24
25-07-2025
- Sharjah 24
Sharjah Ruler meets UKF students in Exeter Programme
His Highness was joined by His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and President of the University of Sharjah, and Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of the American University of Sharjah. Words of encouragement and vision During the meeting, His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah addressed the students with a heartfelt, parental message, praising their academic efforts and highlighting the significance of their participation in the marine sciences programme. He expressed joy over the fruitful academic partnership and its role in equipping students with crucial knowledge and skills. Emphasising environmental stewardship His Highness stated, 'You represent the pinnacle of scientific research, which we need, especially in the Khorfakkan beaches. We are preserving the environment—trees, mountains, and the sea, which holds unseen treasures and life. There are places yet to be explored, and we urge you to be pioneers.' Advice on building knowledge and confidence Offering personal reflections, His Highness said, 'My advice to you—as a student, I was like you—is to have self-confidence through knowledge. Store it in your mind, not just notebooks. Be active and attentive, even to small details. Study beyond the university to truly understand the world.' Shaping character through engagement His Highness also stressed the importance of adapting one's personality to face all circumstances with resilience. He encouraged students to engage in lectures, seminars, and forums, treating the university as their second home. Development Projects Rooted in Belonging Speaking about Sharjah's development, His Highness added, "Every city I have—God knows—is adorned with colors through projects that enrich it and deepen the sense of connection, belonging, and pride among its people, whether in the fields of education, tourism, society, or the environment. These projects are carefully designed to beautify the city and promote stronger familiarity and engagement among its residents. You can witness Khorfakkan progressing in scientific, intellectual, and social fields. We have Mrs. Fatima Al-Mughni, a vibrant presence since her childhood. When we established the old market in Khorfakkan, she turned it into a gathering place for all visitors, showcasing the city's heritage and history. Likewise, we want you to help elevate your country through your involvement in youth and women's clubs and centres, and through your active engagement with the community." Focus on marine science and research Concluding his speech, His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah emphasised scientific research and referenced the Sharjah Marine Research Centre—built at a cost of AED 100 million—as a key facility that will support diving training and marine research, aligning with students' areas of study. Student appreciation and commitment The students expressed their deep gratitude for the generous support and care extended to them by His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, as well as his ongoing interest in their academic journey. They reaffirmed their dedication to applying his guidance and following his example in pursuing valuable knowledge and essential skills. They also pledged to engage actively with the community, contributing to its development and striving to raise the profile of the United Arab Emirates and the Emirate of Sharjah in the fields of science and research. About the programme The marine sciences programme, implemented in the UK and joined by 26 students, is a collaboration between University of Khorfakkan and the University of Exeter. It combines academic theory with hands-on training for marine sciences and aquatic biology students, aligning with global academic standards. Practical and theoretical experiences Throughout July, the programme featured lab workshops on environmental data analysis, experimental preparation, and marine organism monitoring. It also included lectures from experts and site visits to significant coastal locations, enriching students' understanding of biodiversity and sustainability. Memorable conclusion His Highness concluded the meeting by taking a commemorative photo with the students and wished them success in their academic journey and a safe return home.
