A staff member from Sharjah's House of Wisdom with one of the books donated by the emirate's Ruler
A staff member from Sharjah's House of Wisdom with one of the books donated by the emirate's Ruler
A staff member from Sharjah's House of Wisdom with one of the books donated by the emirate's Ruler
A staff member from Sharjah's House of Wisdom with one of the books donated by the emirate's Ruler

Sharjah Ruler donates 12,000 rare books on Islamic art and architecture to House of Wisdom


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  • Arabic

Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, has donated 12,000 rare books to the emirate's House of Wisdom.

The donation includes valuable publications on the region’s art and architecture, many of which are more than 100 years old.

The rare titles include the private library of German historians and couple Richard and Elizabeth Ettinghausen, both of whom were specialists in Islamic and Arab art.

Sheikh Dr Sultan recently acquired the Ettinghausens's library and has since donated it to the House of Wisdom. The collection houses titles written in more than 10 languages, including Arabic, English, German, Japanese, Urdu and Russian.

The Ettinghausens were considered two of the world's most renowned academics in Islamic arts and architecture. Their library includes rare research on arts in the Islamic world including in Iran, India, Spain and Turkey.

Sheikh Sultan's donation to House of Wisdom includes the private library of German historians Richard and Elizabeth Ettinghausen. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Sheikh Sultan's donation to House of Wisdom includes the private library of German historians Richard and Elizabeth Ettinghausen. Chris Whiteoak / The National

One prized title in the collection is a rare 1888 edition of Haza kitab-i mustatab-i Vasaya-yi Khvajah Nizam al-Mulk, penned by Persian vizier Abu Ali Hasan ibn Ali Tusi, better known as Nizam al-Mulk. One of only two copies listed globally, this book is a treatise on governance and political science.

An 1898 large-style publication on Oriental glassware and Islamic decoration and ornaments by Gustav Schmoranz is another noteworthy title. An original 1910 edition, the book – titled Die Ausstellung von Meisterwerken muhammedanischer Kunst in Munchen – is edited by Friedrich Sarre, a prominent German Orientalist and art historian, and FR Martin, a Swedish cultural historian and art collector.

A team of specialists at the House of Wisdom is categorising the collection and preparing to present it in a special exhibition. A date for the exhibition has not been revealed yet but it will be open to the general public.

Marwa Al Agroubi, director of the House of Wisdom, thanked Sharjah's Ruler for the donation, saying his “unwavering support of books, authors and libraries” helped the emirate receive Unesco’s coveted World Book Capital title in 2019.

"The House of Wisdom is a true representation of the title and the inspiring vision of Sharjah Ruler," she said.

The library, which was inaugurated in December 2020 by Sheikh Dr Sultan, is home to more than 300,000 books across its 12,000-square-metre site.

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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
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Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation. 

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000. 

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Name: Fruitful Day

Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie

Based: Dubai, UAE

Founded: 2015

Number of employees: 30

Sector: F&B

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Future funding plans: None at present

Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries

What went into the film

25 visual effects (VFX) studios

2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots

1,000 VFX artists

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Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

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Our legal advisor

Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.

Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation. 

Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.

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