Sharjah to open region’s first museum dedicated to contemporary craft in 2029
Permanent collection will document craft across the UAE and wider region
SHARJAH – Sharjah is set to add a new cultural destination to its growing arts landscape, with Irthi Museum planned as the region’s first museum dedicated to contemporary craft.
The museum will be located at Sharjah Creative Quarter and will build a permanent collection documenting contemporary craft in the UAE and wider region. It will bring together exhibitions, research, education and design while creating opportunities for artisans to develop their practices and pass craft knowledge to future generations.
Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council has announced the museum project as part of its wider efforts to preserve Emirati craft while giving traditional techniques a contemporary expression. Although an official opening date has not yet been announced, an Irthi representative said at the UAE edition of design and architecture fair Nomad last November that the museum was scheduled to open in 2029.
The institution will explore craft as a living and evolving practice rather than simply preserving historic techniques. Its collections and programmes are expected to examine how skills passed down through generations continue to influence contemporary art, design and creative production.
Living heritage
Alongside exhibitions and collection development, Irthi Museum will focus on research, education and design. Its work will include preserving, documenting and presenting the development of contemporary craft, while supporting artisans and creating opportunities for craft knowledge to be transferred to younger generations.
The museum builds on a decade of work by Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, which has worked with Emirati artisans to revive traditional practices, develop new skills and introduce craft to audiences in the UAE and overseas.
The council was established in 2016 with an initial focus on traditional crafts practised by Emirati women. Its founder and royal patron, Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, said when Sharjah was designated a Unesco Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art in 2019 that Irthi was created to provide vocational training for craftswomen, help them earn sustainable incomes and connect their work with markets locally and internationally.
One of its key initiatives, the Bidwa Social Development Programme in Dibba Al Hisn, works with Emirati artisans practising techniques handed down through generations. These include safeefah, the weaving of palm fronds, and talli embroidery. The programme has also trained younger women in these traditional skills.
Craft meets design
Irthi has increasingly combined these techniques with contemporary design. Its first original product line featured 78 pieces across 12 collections, spanning furniture, jewellery, handbags and perfume bottles. The works were created by female Emirati artisans in collaboration with international designers and craft practitioners.
Some projects have brought traditional materials into unexpected combinations, including safeefah woven with camel leather and pieces pairing Emirati clay with Murano glass.
The council has also collaborated with fashion and luxury names. Qasimi incorporated safeefah and faroukha, a traditional handwoven tassel, into its spring/summer 2022 collection, with the pieces produced by women artisans working with the council. Craftswomen from Dibba Al Hisn have also received orders from Cartier and Bulgari after Irthi connected them with international designers.
More recently, the Tilad Collection, developed with Mexican artist Ricardo Rendon and presented at Nomad Abu Dhabi, combined safeefah and talli with Mexican craft techniques and pine wood. Its woven elements were produced by Emirati women artisans.
New cultural quarter
Irthi Museum was first identified as part of Sharjah Creative Quarter when plans for the development were unveiled in January 2025. At the time, the museum was described as an initiative focused on promoting and contemporising Emirati and regional crafts while supporting traditional craftswomen.
Sharjah Creative Quarter is being designed by Taller de Arquitectura, Mauricio Rocha, in collaboration with Daniel Rossello. The development is planned near House of Wisdom, American University of Sharjah and Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park.
The quarter is also expected to host the Qasimi Archives, Sharjah Fashion Lab, Sharjah Design Centre and the Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi Collection. A Sharjah campus of L’Ecole, School of Jewellery Arts, supported by Van Cleef & Arpels, is also planned.
With Irthi Museum, the quarter will add a dedicated institution focused on contemporary craft, linking Sharjah’s traditional heritage with the region’s expanding creative and design sectors.