Sheikh Sultan along with other dignitaries during the opening of the Arabic Cultural Institute at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, Italy. WAM

His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated the Arabic Cultural Institute at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, Italy.

During the ceremony, Sheikh Sultan expressed his joy over the collaboration between Sharjah and the university, which began seven years ago and led to the establishment of the institute.

He highlighted the cultural exchanges that have taken place, including visits by students and delegations between Sharjah and Milan.

Sheikh Sultan also spoke about his research into the Arabic language and its origins, noting the connection between Arabic and early human migrations, with evidence found in Sharjah. He shared his goal of creating a comprehensive Arabic language corpus, furthering understanding of the language's rich history.

The event featured a performance by the ARABCOR choir, composed of students who have studied Arabic at the university.

Sheikh Sultan also visited the Sharjah Archaeology Exhibition, which showcases 83 artefacts from different historical periods, emphasising Sharjah's cultural heritage.

The Arabic Cultural Institute is the first of its kind in Italy and aims to strengthen ties between Arab and Western civilisations, promote cultural exchange, and support Arabic language education and literary cooperation.

The institute will also facilitate partnerships between Arab and Italian publishers, host Arabic language programmes, and expand the Arabic Language Festival in Milan.

WAM