At a time of conflict across the region, residents are standing by the UAE, with cultural institutions playing an important role in building and sustaining that sense of community, according to Dr Manal Ataya, adviser to Sharjah Museums Authority.
Speaking at the Hong Kong International Cultural Summit, Ataya said the erroneous idea of the UAE as a place that people simply pass through does not reflect the lived reality of many residents in the country.
“I think everyone is aware of what is happening in the region right now,” she said. “So many people have asked me, are people leaving and who’s going home? And I say, we are not going home.
“Everyone has built a home in the UAE, and so many, almost everyone, is staying in the country, believing in our leadership and that we will overcome this and that we will continue to build our lives and our homes.”
Her remarks echo a wider sentiment expressed in recent weeks, with artists and cultural figures in the UAE describing the conflict as a moment that has strengthened the country’s sense of community.
Sharjah Museums Authority, established in 2006, oversees 16 museums that span subjects such as art, Islamic civilisation, science, archaeology, maritime history, aviation and children’s learning. Some pre-date the authority itself, while others have been refurbished, expanded or newly opened.
Ataya said the network was developed across the emirate in ways that made sense for the communities around each museum.
“We didn’t cluster them in any way,” she said. “It was just about where they seemed to fit and what made sense.”
That approach, she said, created a “human scale” cultural landscape in which museums became part of daily life.
For example, at Sharjah Art Museum children often use the outdoor area as a place to play. At first, security guards tried to move them on.
“Then we had myself and other people who work there saying: 'No, don’t do that,'” she said. “Let the kids enjoy the spaces. This is what it’s for.”
At other sites, young people sit outside to use free Wi-Fi that reaches through the walls. In residential areas, children come down from nearby apartment blocks with scooters and bicycles to spend time outside museum buildings.
For Ataya, these details matter because they show how institutions become familiar presences rather than occasional destinations.
“They don’t seem distant, they don’t seem intimidating,” she said. “They do feel familiar to them.”
That familiarity, she argued, is part of what allows museums to contribute to community-building over time, particularly during difficult periods. She described one resident who grew up near the archaeology museum, visited it as a child, later used it for a university project while studying architecture, then returned with his own child years later.
“It’s quite beautiful coming full circle,” she said.
Ataya said the authority’s focus on community had been clear from the start. When she took on the role of founding deputy director two decades ago, she said, the instruction from Sharjah’s leadership was simple: children and Arab families needed to come to museums, and museums needed to support education more broadly.
That meant working closely with schools and teachers, while also creating spaces where people felt comfortable gathering and returning.
Programming has been shaped around how communities actually live. During Ramadan, for example, activities move later into the evening and are designed around how families spend time together during the month.
At a recent event, children played games such as chess and backgammon, activities Ataya described as more associated with their parents’ or grandparents’ generations – helping build a sense of continuity and connection between them.
Overall, museums should not be defined only by their buildings or collections, but by the relationships they maintain with the people around them, she said.
“What matters so much is the connections we’re making with the people that are coming to the space and beginning to use it in different ways.”
That role carries added weight during a time of conflict, when institutions can help maintain people's connections to the places around them, even virtually for those who are staying home.
“We have to respond to the rhythm of the community,” she said. “We don’t need to have people come to the museum. We just have to remain close to people.”
