Sharjah24: The Director General of Sharjah Museums Authority (SMA), Manal Ataya, was awarded the Order of Merit, conferred by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in recognition of her outstanding efforts and contribution to enhancing cultural exchange between Germany and the UAE.

The German Ambassador Ernest Peter Fischer presented the award during a ceremony held at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization on Wednesday, February 16.
 
Ataya received the order in recognition of a decade-long journey of her efforts and commitment to strengthen the cultural and intellectual links between the UAE and Germany since the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SMA and Berlin State Museums in 2013.
 
The long-standing collaboration has successfully resulted in organizing three major exhibitions titled “The Radiance of Islam, Early Capitals of Islamic Culture, and ‘Crossroads: Cultural Exchange between the Islamic Civilization, Europe and Beyond’ that showcased exclusive artifacts that were curated by SMA in collaboration with Berlin State Museums. 
 
The exhibitions generated record footfalls of never-before-seen objects and accompanying comprehensive educational programs. 
 
 
Another major collaboration that ran parallel to this is SAWA Museums Studies program, a unique initiative of its kind that was launched in 2015 by SMA in cooperation with Berlin State Museums, Goethe-Institut Gulf Region and the University of Applied Sciences (HTW Berlin) for students of museums studies and young museum professionals.
 
The program, which is funded by SMA and Germany’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, offers participants an opportunity to learn together about diverse museology disciplines through theoretical and practical seminars at renowned museums in Berlin and Sharjah. 
 
SMA has won the “Best Cultural Collaboration” in the International Leading Cultural Destinations Award 2020 and the Humanities Award for ‘Promoting the Role and Value of the Humanities in Research, Education and Society’ from the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA) in Berlin, for its innovative SAWA Museums Studies program. 
 
“I am extremely honored to be awarded with the Order of Merit of Germany which I dedicate to all my fellow colleagues here and in Germany for their support and hard work that made this partnership so pioneering and successful,” said SMA’s Director General.
 
She added: “I wish to thank His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in both the UAE and Germany and HE Ambassador Fischer, for all their continued support.” 
 
“It gives me immense satisfaction that we have fulfilled the long-term goals of research, conservation, new exhibition curation and academic learning that we had set out to achieve 10 years ago,” said Ataya, adding: “Being awarded with this prestigious accolade is a truly wonderful way to show appreciation and motivate all of us who worked together as a strong team to elevate and expand Emirati-German dialogue and cultural exchange.”
 
Ataya describes the prestigious award as recognition of the great efforts put forth by Sharjah’s leadership to strengthen cultural ties with various countries in the world and to intensify the Emirate’s cultural presence on the world stage.
 
On the occasion, the German Ambassador said: “I am delighted to present the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany to Manal Ataya on behalf of President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.”
 
He added: “Manal has built lasting cultural bridges between the UAE and Germany. She has been leading a deep and meaningful cooperation between our museums and – more importantly – the people that make them and has also touched the hearts and widened the knowledge of many young museum professionals in both countries.”
 
“Museums show us identity and beauty and by connecting our museums, Manal has deepened the bonds between our countries and regions. Thank you and congratulations, dear Manal Ataya. May the friendship between Sharjah, the UAE and Germany continue to blossom so richly,” he concluded. 
 
Order of Merit is the only federal decoration of Germany and is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellectual or honorary fields.