Chairman of the Department of Government Relations (DGR) in Sharjah, Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi has applauded Hungary for strengthening links with the UAE through economic cooperation and participation in cultural and tourism events held in the country.
In a meeting held in Budapest with János Csák, Hungary’s Minister of Culture and Innovation, the DGR Chairman expressed his admiration for the Liget Budapest project.
This is Europe’s largest and most ambitious urban cultural development that aims to renew the city’s most iconic public park while fully respecting its 200-year-old heritage.
A high-level delegation from the DGR, led by Sheikh Fahim, was in Hungary on a five-day visit to discuss mutual investment opportunities and outline ways to strengthen the role of culture and heritage in advancing sustainable development.
The delegation also met with several Hungarian officials. Saud Hamad Al Shamsi, the UAE Ambassador, was also present at the meetings.
In his meeting with Hungary’s Minister of Culture and Innovation, Sheikh Fahim expressed Sharjah’s keenness to forge partnerships with the country in education and innovation. He also spoke on Sharjah’s global renown as a home to several top-ranked higher education institutions.
He said that under the vision of Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah, the emirate had become synonymous with culture earning UNESCO recognition as ‘Cultural Capital of the Arab Region’ in 1998 and ‘ World Book Capital’ for the year 2019.
The DGR Chairman invited the Hungarian minister to visit the emirate to further discuss cooperation opportunities in diverse sectors.
Accepting the invitation, Csák expressed his ministry’s keenness to support cultural cooperation between the two sides.
During their visit, the delegation visited the House of Hungarian Music, a contemporary cultural landmark in Budapest dedicated to music, and was briefed by András Batta, Director, on its defining sustainable architectural elements.
The delegation toured the facilities of the newly opened landmark including concert halls, open-air stage, classrooms, library, and dedicated exhibition spaces highlighting European music history, with a particular focus on Hungarian legacy.
Sheikh Fahim expressed his admiration for the museum’s architecture, aesthetics, and innovative content and held discussions with the director on cooperation opportunities with the emirate’s House of Wisdom and the Sharjah Institute for Heritage.
The delegation visited the Hungarian Parliament Building, a popular tourist destination in Budapest, and was briefed on its history.
They also visited the Museum of Ethnography, a multiple-award-winning museum building which comes under the framework of the Liget Budapest project and was briefed on its dynamic design and contoured structure that was recognized as ‘World’s Best Architecture’ at the 2018 International Property Awards.
The delegation also visited the Museum of Fine Arts and the Hungarian National Gallery where they toured the premises and were briefed on their respective roles in the restoration and maintenance of artifacts.