Ruler of Sharjah attends opening of 26th Sharjah International Narrator Forum

His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, attended the opening of the 26th Sharjah International Narrator Forum (SINF) on Wednesday at the Sharjah Institute for Heritage (SIH).

Organised by SIH from 23rd to 27th September under the theme “Stories of Friends”, the forum brings together more than 100 narrators, experts, researchers and media professionals from over 30 countries.

Abdulaziz Al Musallam, President of SIH, said friendship is a deeply rooted human and cultural value and a vessel for stories, values and experiences passed down through generations.

He noted that Arab and Emirati heritage contain a rich body of stories and biographies highlighting friendship and its significance in social and cultural life.

Finland is Guest of Honour at this year’s edition, represented by honorary figure Jarno Peltonen, in recognition of its storytelling and epic traditions, including the “Kalevala”.

The Kingdom of Bahrain is also being honoured through artist Mohammed Yassin, the edition’s Featured Figure.

Al Musallam said the 26th edition introduces new additions to its academic programme, training workshops and specialised publications, which number more than 30 titles.

The forum also features three exhibitions, “Secrets of Friends”, “Friends’ Collections” and “Ambassador Without Borders”, alongside participation by cultural centres, universities, institutes, government entities and other organisations.

He added that the forum has become an annual platform for celebrating custodians of heritage and guardians of memory, having honoured more than 200 male and female narrators from the UAE, Gulf region, Arab world and other countries.

During the ceremony, the Ruler of Sharjah and attendees watched a film highlighting friendship and its role in building relationships based on affection, respect and trust.

An artistic performance also presented scenes reflecting the value of friendship, mutual support and its role in strengthening communication and social cohesion.

The Ruler of Sharjah honoured Jarno Peltonen, Mohammed Yassin and a number of Emirati narrators in recognition of their contributions to storytelling and oral narration and their efforts to preserve and transmit cultural heritage to future generations.

The Ruler of Sharjah also toured the accompanying exhibition, which highlights storytelling as a means of human connection, cultural exchange and dialogue between peoples.

Finland’s participation showcases aspects of its storytelling heritage and experience in preserving oral traditions, with the “Kalevala” presented as a prominent example of a tradition that developed from oral narration into written documentation and cultural preservation.

Through its successive editions, the Sharjah International Narrator Forum continues to strengthen storytelling as part of cultural and human memory and as a platform for communication between peoples and cultures.