A cultural event hosted by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (Baca) in collaboration with Zayed National Museum is set to highlight the historical relations between Bahrain and the UAE.
The initiative, taking place tomorrow at 7pm at the Bahrain National Museum, is set to feature a presentation entitled ‘Zayed National Museum: Celebrating the Ancient Ties Between Magan and Dilmun’, which will showcase the extensive trade, economic and social networks that connected the two civilisations across the Arabian Gulf throughout history.
It will be followed by a screening of the documentary ‘A Bronze Age Boat Sails Again’, which examines traditional boat-building techniques used by the region’s early inhabitants, highlighting a craft that remains an enduring symbol of the Gulf’s maritime heritage.
Contributions from Zayed National Museum representatives, including institutional and international affairs head Noora Al Mubarak, associate curator Ayesha Al Mansoori, and acquisition and commission lead Emma Thompson, will feature.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed last year between Baca and the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism to enhance cultural and museological co-ordination, with the upcoming event marking the first collaboration between the two museums.
Zayed National Museum, the national museum of the UAE, opened to the public last December and features more than 1,500 objects across six permanent galleries.
The two sides agreed to develop a series of exchange programmes and organise joint exhibitions ‘to preserve and promote the collective culture of the Arabian Gulf region’.
The accord also provides a framework to improve the skills of museum curators and staff, and introduce targeted groups to the exhibits of the two museums through a range of events, seminars and lectures.
They further agreed to invite museum professionals from both sides to conduct historical and scientific research, exchange exhibits and provide mutual training programmes for staff in conservation, preventive care and visitor services.
Since then, cultural co-operation between Bahrain and the UAE has been demonstrated through the loan of 19 archaeological artefacts from the Dilmun and Tylos civilisations currently displayed at Zayed National Museum, marking Bahrain National Museum’s largest international loan to date.
The two institutions are also collaborating on archaeological excavations at Qal’at Al Bahrain, a Unesco World Heritage Site, with the aim of advancing knowledge of the region’s ancient civilisations.
In addition, a joint research project is scheduled for launch in the final quarter of this year, reaffirming the shared commitment of both countries to advancing scientific research in the fields of heritage and archaeology.
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