The Department of Culture and Information, Sharjah was formed after the governmental order was issued on 30th April 1981. The UAE Government built this department in order to preserve the culture heritage of the emirate. The authorities deal with activities required to strengthen the movement of cultural conservation in Sharjah.
This Department was earlier known as the Department of Culture & Tourism. Later the Amiri decree chalked out the objectives and role of the Department, keeping in mind the need of national heritage restoration and conservation. The section of art and culture in Sharjah is supervised by the Sharjah Department of Culture and Information.
The efforts of this department were appreciated by UNESCO and Sharjah in 1998 was declared as "The Cultural Capital of the Arab World". The Department of Culture & Information issues some prestigious awards titled as “The Sharjah Award for the UAE Book”.
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The prize distribution is held during the Sharjah World Book Fair – an annual event held in November-December.The Department of Culture and Information in Sharjah aims at publishing innovative and cultural journals related to various fields of knowledge and creativity. In a very limited period of time, the department gained recognition by publishing more than 200 cultural prints. 'Al Rafed' Magazine, one of the most popular publications of Department of Culture and Information in Sharjah started as a quarterly magazine. Since 2000 the magazine is being published every month and has gained immense popularity. 'Al Rafed' Magazine has a strong impact on the cultural activities of the region. Other publications of this department include Theatre, Iqra and Al Saura.
Department of Culture and Information, Sharjah mainly concentrates on cultural activities dealing with archeology, heritage, art, theater, books and libraries. Biennial is one of the prime cultural events of Sharjah organized by this department in every two years, which aims at the publicity of 'Arab and International Art movement'.
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