Guardians of Knowledge

At the heart of any thriving culture lies the careful stewardship of knowledge. Within the pavilion of the National Library and Archives at the Sharjah International Book Fair 2026, a thoughtful assembly of specialists gathered to contemplate the role that libraries, archives and cultural institutions play in shaping the nation’s intellectual character.

The panel discussion, titled Libraries, Archives, and Cultural Institutions, drew together practitioners and visionaries to explore a question both fundamental and urgent: how do we preserve the treasures of knowledge whilst making them accessible to those who seek them? The conversation ranged across the mechanisms through which these institutions strengthen one another, the ways in which expertise and insight travel between them, and the shared responsibility they carry to protect the national heritage.

Moderated by Ahmed Al Mushtaghel, the discussion featured HE Fahad Al Maamari, Hamad Al Hemeiri, HE Marwa Al Aqroubi and Asmaa Nasser. Their combined perspectives brought into focus the intricate web of collaboration that underpins the cultural ecosystem, the careful work of safeguarding memory, and the imperative to make that knowledge available to enrich the cultural landscape.

This conversation forms part of a broader commitment by the National Library and Archives to foster integration amongst cultural institutions throughout the nation, creating pathways for the exchange of knowledge and the pooling of resources in service of a shared vision: a society that honours its past whilst building its future.