Sharjah Museums Authority takes part in “Make it in the Emirates 2026”, hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and organised by ADNEC Group, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Abu Dhabi Investment Office and ADNOC Group, presenting the UAE’s maritime heritage through a programme of collections, traditional crafts, and panel discussions led by Sharjah Maritime Museum.
The forum, which runs from May 4 to 7 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, marks its fifth edition as a national platform that supports industrial growth, local production, innovation and export development in the UAE.
SMA’s participation aims to highlight the connection between heritage, industry and innovation, while positioning museums as cultural institutions that support knowledge, learning and sustainable development, in alignment with the UAE’s industrial strategy and its vision to strengthen local manufacturing, innovation and sustainable economic growth.
Sharjah Maritime Museum, the first of its kind in the Arabian Gulf, was established to collect, preserve and study the UAE’s maritime heritage, offering visitors a rich insight into the maritime life that shaped communities across the Emirates, from shipbuilding and fishing to pearl diving, trade and navigation.
The museum will display a collection of objects that reflect the development of traditional seafaring practices, including navigation tools such as compasses, spherical and flat astrolabes, sundials, hourglasses and telescopes.
It will also showcase pearl-diving equipment, pearl scales and weights, diving gear, pearl merchant tools and the traditional pearl chest known as Al Bishtakhta.
Other exhibits will include fishing nets (Al Leekh), fish traps (Al Gargour), ropes, fishing hooks (Al Miyadeer), and tools used in traditional shipbuilding, including Al Jalfah (traditional shipbuilding craft) tools and damar, a material used in maintaining wooden vessels.
The participation will also feature models of traditional boats that played an important role in life at sea, including the Al Shahuf, Al Boum, Al Bateel, Al Badan, Al Sanbuk and Al Samáa. The vessels reflect the evolution of boatbuilding in the region and their use in fishing, pearl diving, trade and transport.
Alongside the exhibits, SMA will present an interactive programme featuring live demonstrations of traditional maritime crafts, including Falq Al Mah’ar, or pearl oyster opening, Al Leekh weaving, and the making of Al Shasha boat, one of the UAE’s oldest traditional boats, historically made from palm fronds and used for short-distance movement, fishing and carrying light tools.
The programme includes a panel discussion, titled “The Role of Women in Pearl Diving Journeys in Emirati Heritage,” will take place on May 6 and will highlight the pivotal role played by Emirati women in pearl-diving communities, where they were essential partners in the journey despite not going out to sea, exploring their contributions before, during and after the voyages, and their role in supporting families, sustaining communities and preserving maritime heritage.
Through its participation, SMA aims to present traditional crafts not only as part of the past, but as foundations for skills, production methods and knowledge systems that continue to inform contemporary creativity and industry.
The initiative reflects the Authority’s commitment to preserving and presenting the UAE’s heritage through engaging public experiences, while strengthening Sharjah’s position as a cultural centre that connects history, knowledge, creativity and future-focused dialogue.