Aidan J. Sullivan: Sharjah through the eyes of Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, the emirate’s beloved son

Not many people are aware that His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, the Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of Sharjah Media Council (SMC), has been an avid travel and nature photographer for over 10 years. 

He is both a passionate and enthusiastic photographer and his work is now being showcased at the International Photography Festival ‘Xposure’ this year at the exhibition “Sharjah, by Sultan Al Qasimi”. 

Through a series of 10 images of Sharjah’s cultural landmarks, extraordinary architecture and breath-taking natural landscapes, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi pays a special visual tribute to the city whose history, beauty and diversity inspired him to pick up a camera and visually document it all for the world to see. 

In a conversation with him here at Xposure in 2019, I asked His Highness when he would join the rest of us with an exhibition of his own, he said he wasn’t sure. 

So here we are just four years later, and I am really impressed by how much his work has progressed in such a short period of time. 

On show are a diverse series of images from the rich mangrove forests in Kalba that are critical to the UAE’s and the planet’s marine ecosystem to the rugged terrains of Mleiha – a UNESCO Heritage site; wide aerial shots of the city’s skyscrapers lined along the Al Majaz Waterfront; and a shot of the eastern city of Khorfakkan from the sky beautifully capturing its unique terrain as mountain meets the sea, every image beautifully encapsulates the unique attributes of this city. 

The most recent capture by the SMC Chairman at the exhibition is a photograph taken last year of the futuristic cultural centre and social hub, the visually stunning House of Wisdom, which was built to be a living legacy of Sharjah’s UNESCO nomination as the World Book Capital 2019 – 2020. 

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi’s deep love and admiration for his birthplace are clealry evident and vividly portrayed in this exhibition and offers photography enthusiasts and image lovers a unique opportunity to see Sharjah through his eyes. 

Xposure 2023, organised by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), is the world’s largest photography festival. It concludes today (Wednesday) in Expo Center Sharjah.