What Sharjah Art Foundation does

Sharjah Art Foundation is a legally independent public body established by Emiri Decree in 2009, headquartered in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, with the explicit mission of developing and sustaining the cultural life of the Sharjah Emirate. It operates the long-running Sharjah Biennial (since 1993), the annual March Meeting convening of arts professionals, and a year-round programme of exhibitions, residencies, film, performance, publishing, and educational activities across more than 15 venues spanning Sharjah City, Al Hamriyah, Al Dhaid, Kalba, and Khorfakkan, many housed in repurposed heritage buildings.

The Foundation's underlying technology consists of a portfolio of digital platforms — SAF Radio (an online radio platform launched June 2026), SAF Online (a multimedia content hub), a ticketing and online booking system, and the SAF Library digital resource — alongside a growing permanent collection spanning art movements from the 1920s to the present. The Foundation does not develop proprietary AI or ML systems; its technology layer is primarily content distribution and audience access.

The Foundation is funded primarily by the Government of Sharjah, supplemented by grants from national and international non-profits, corporate sponsors, and individual patrons. Earned revenue is modest and includes studio rental at Al Hamriyah Studios (AED 1,000–2,500 per month), merchandise sales through the Sharjah Art Shop, and small film production grants (AED 120,000 total pool). All exhibitions and most public programmes are free. Customer segments include the general public, artists and creative practitioners (via residencies and grants), independent filmmakers (via the Sharjah Film Platform), children and families (via summer camps and learning programmes), and international cultural institutions (via touring exhibitions such as the Aranya Art Center Guangzhou and IMMA Dublin partnerships). Hoor Al Qasimi serves as President and Director.

Name

Sharjah Art Foundation

Legal name

Sharjah Art Foundation

Website

https://sharjahart.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sharjah Art Foundation is a UAE public body that presents contemporary art exhibitions, biennials, residencies, film, and educational programmes across 15+ venues in Sharjah Emirate, serving the public, artists, and international cultural institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Arts Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510), Historical Sites (71212)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ)

Keywords

• Contemporary art exhibitions
• Artist residency programmes
• Art biennial
• Cultural programming
• Public art installations

Headquarters

HQ city

Sharjah

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Sharjah Art Foundation is a legally independent public body established by Emiri Decree, supported by government funding from Sharjah.
2. Grants from Cultural Organizations: Supported by grants from national and international nonprofits and cultural organisations.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors contribute to foundation funding alongside government and nonprofit support.
4. Individual Patron Support: Individual patrons provide funding support to the foundation.
5. Merchandise Sales: Sharjah Art Shop sells art-related publications, books, stationery, apparel, home items, accessories, and kids products. Online e-commerce platform with prices in AED.
6. Studio Space Rental: Al Hamriyah Studios offers affordable studio spaces for lease to UAE-based artists: small studios AED 1,000/month, medium AED 2,000/month, large AED 2,500/month.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Sharjah Art Foundation is a legally independent public body established by Emiri Decree in 2009 that produces and presents contemporary art exhibitions, artist residencies, grants, commissions, and educational programmes across multiple venues in the Sharjah Emirate. It operates the long-running Sharjah Biennial (since 1993), March Meeting, Sharjah Film Platform, Focal Point art book fair, digital platforms (SAF Radio, SAF Online), and a network of more than 15 repurposed heritage venues, with free admission to exhibitions for the general public.

Product overview

Sharjah Art Foundation operates a comprehensive cultural ecosystem comprising core exhibitions and events (Sharjah Biennial, March Meeting), digital platforms (SAF Radio, SAF Online, SAF Library), artist support programmes (Studio & Residency Programmes, grants), and public art installations (Rain Room). Add-on offerings include educational programmes (Semi-systems courses, Summer Camp), film initiatives (Sharjah Film Platform), publishing platforms (Focal Point art book fair, The Hook for writers), and an e-commerce shop. The Foundation manages multiple heritage venues across the Emirate of Sharjah for exhibitions, performances, and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sharjah Biennial: Long-running biennial featuring contemporary artists from around the world, currently in its 17th edition.
• March Meeting
• Sharjah Film Platform
• Perform Sharjah
• Focal Point
• Corniche
• Vantage Point
• The Hook
• Studio & Residency Programmes
• Sunday Cinema Club
• Semi-systems
• SAF Online
• Rain Room
• SAF Radio

Products and services

• Sharjah Biennial Biennial contemporary art exhibition featuring artists from around the world, held across multiple venues in the Emirate of Sharjah. Free and open to the public.
• March Meeting

Quantifiable outcome

• All exhibitions are free and open to the public, ensuring broad accessibility
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• SUPERFLEXcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026Artist collective SUPERFLEX redesigned Al Majarrah Park in collaboration with Schul Landscape Architects (Copenhagen) and KWY.studio (Lisbon). The reimagined public space features large-scale sculptures of everyday objects. Foundation has longstanding relationship with SUPERFLEX since Sharjah Biennial 11.
• KunstenfestivaldesartscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026Sharjah Art Foundation co-produced two world premieres at Kunstenfestivaldesarts 2026 in Brussels: Apichatpong Weerasethakul's A Flower of Forgetfulness and Maria Hassabi's Us, works at the intersection of performance, cinema, and choreography.
• Aranya Art Center GuangzhoumajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 February 2026Collaboration for In Absence and in Presence exhibition presenting over 70 works from the Sharjah Art Foundation Collection. Exhibition runs March-August 2026 at Aranya Art Center Guangzhou in China. Curated by Hoor Al Qasimi and Damien Zhang. Largest international presentation of the Collection in Asia.
• Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership for presenting selected works from the Foundation's Collection focusing on artistic practices from Palestine and neighboring countries. Exhibition scheduled November 2026-May 2027 at IMMA in Dublin.
• Aranya Art CentermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Independently operated contemporary art institution under Aranya Group, established 2019, with locations including Main site, Aranya Art Center North, and Aranya Art Center Guangzhou. Collaborates with artists, curators, and cultural institutions in China and internationally.
• Schul Landscape ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCopenhagen-based landscape architecture firm collaborating on Al Majarrah Park redesign with SUPERFLEX and Sharjah Art Foundation.
• KWY.studiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLisbon-based studio collaborating on Al Majarrah Park redesign with SUPERFLEX and Sharjah Art Foundation.
• Hoor Al QasimicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresident and Director of Sharjah Art Foundation, serves as curator for international exhibitions including In Absence and in Presence at Aranya Art Center Guangzhou.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Palais de Tokyo: Paris-based non-collecting contemporary art center producing exhibitions, residencies, performances and publishing. Closely comparable in operating model: site-specific exhibitions, international artist commissions, performance programming, and a non-permanent-collection focus on contemporary practice.
• Serpentine Galleries: London-based contemporary art institution operating galleries in Kensington Gardens plus a year-round programme of exhibitions, commissions and the Serpentine Pavilion architecture series. Comparable as a publicly supported, non-collecting contemporary art organization known for international artist commissions and global visibility.
• KW Institute for Contemporary Art: Berlin-based non-collecting contemporary art institution presenting exhibitions, performances, and discursive programs. Comparable as a publicly supported, non-collecting contemporary art center that produces exhibitions and commissions rather than maintaining a permanent collection.
• Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art: Qatar Foundation-operated museum in Doha dedicated to modern and contemporary art from the Arab world. Highly comparable as a regionally anchored, government-backed contemporary art institution focused on Arab and MENA artistic practices, with similar exhibition, residency, and collection-building models.
• Mori Art Museum: Tokyo's leading contemporary art museum focused on Asia and the wider world. Comparable as a non-collecting contemporary art institution producing international exhibitions and programming, with strong government/corporate backing and global brand recognition.
• MASS MoCA: North Adams, Massachusetts-based contemporary art institution operating across a large multi-building campus with long-duration installations and commissions. Comparable as a multi-venue contemporary art institution operating repurposed historic buildings and producing major commissions.
• Haus der Kunst: Munich-based non-collecting contemporary art institution presenting exhibitions and discursive programs in a single large historic venue. Comparable in its non-collecting operating model and international contemporary art programming focus.
• Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA Chicago): Chicago-based contemporary art museum presenting exhibitions, performances, and educational programs. Comparable as a mid-sized contemporary art museum producing year-round programming across multiple program streams with an international focus.

Broad incumbents

• Louvre Abu Dhabi: UAE federal art museum with a universal/historical collection focus, opened under intergovernmental agreement with France. Comparable as a UAE-based, government-backed cultural institution targeting international audiences, but materially larger in budget and collection scope, and focused on a broader art-historical narrative rather than contemporary practice.

Regional players

• Art Dubai: UAE-based annual contemporary art fair held in Dubai. Comparable as a regional platform for international contemporary art visibility, but operates as a commercial fair rather than a museum/foundation, with different revenue model and curatorial approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sharjahart
• Facebookfacebook.com/SharjahArt
• Instagraminstagram.com/sharjahart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sharjah-art-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Sharjah Art Foundation