H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, issued Emiri Decree No. (19) of 2017 on establishing and organising of the Sharjah International Cultural Heritage Award.

The decree stipulates that an International Award will be established in the emirate called the Sharjah International Cultural Heritage Award, which will have the legal personality and the capacity to act within the limits of its objectives in accordance with the provisions of this decree. 

The head office of the Award shall be located in the Emirate of Sharjah, and branches and offices may be established inside and outside the Emirate by a decision of the Board of Trustees of the Award. 

The Award  aims to achieve the following: 
1. Appreciate the efforts made at the local, Arab and International levels to preserve, document and ensure the continuity of elements of cultural heritage. 
2. To promote the spirit of honest competition among those interested and working in scientific and field research in the field of cultural heritage. 
3. To value the practices of safeguarding and crowning the cultural heritage in accordance with the internationally adopted standards in this field. 
4 - Honouring the human treasures in turn in the field of transfer of experience and knowledge, and the introduction of techniques of verbal narration and the role of narrators. 

The decree also stipulates that the award shall be awarded in the following fields: 
1. Best practices for safeguarding cultural heritage. 
2. Narrators and heritage campaign (human treasures living). 
3. Researchers in the field of cultural heritage. 

According to the decree, the Governor of Sharjah and on the proposal of the Board of Trustees of the Award, add other related fields in which the Award is awarded. 

With regard to organising the work of the Award, the decree stipulates that it shall have a board of trustees consisting of a president, a vice president and a number of members of competence , who shall be appointed by decision from the Ruler of Sharjah or his representative. 

As for the Council's powers and according to the provisions of the decree, it is considered the supreme authority competent to administer the Award and has the powers to establish controls and supervision in accordance with the achievement of its objectives. 
1- Drawing the general policy for the Award activities. 
2. Setting the criteria for awarding the Award . 
3. Nomination of members of the jury. 
4 - Preparation of the annual budget and the final account of the Award and presented to the Department of Government Relations to take what is necessary. 
5 – Preparation of  the financial and administrative regulations and submit them to the Department of Government Relations to take the necessary. 
6- Proposing the general guide for the Award , its periodicity, categories, conditions, and mechanism of nomination and presenting it to the Department of Government Relations for approval. 
7 - Formation of permanent and temporary committees with the definition of their terms of reference depending on the needs of the work of the Award. 
8. To submit periodic reports on its work to the Department of Government Relations. 
9. Any other matters deemed by the Board of Trustees of the Award to be necessary for the conduct of work after the approval of the Department of Government Relations. 
10- Any other functions, which are agreed upon by the Board from the Governor or from the Executive Council of the Emirate. 

The Board of Trustees of the Sharjah International Cultural Heritage Award will have a renewable term of four years and will continue to run until a new board is formed. 

The Board of Trustees of the Award shall meet at least twice a year or whenever required by an invitation from its Chairman. Decisions shall be taken by a majority of the members and in case of equal of the members the decision should be taken by any part which approved by the Chairman . 

The decree also stipulates that the Award shall have a technical secretariat that shall exercise the following functions: 
1- To propose the strategic and marketing plan for the Award and submit it to the Board of Trustees for approval. 
2- To carry out the general coordination of the Award and the administrative and financial supervision of its work. 
3- To carry out the marketing and promotion of the Award according to an approved plan. 
4 - The definition of the Award and its objectives and conditions and the mechanism of nomination based on the Award guide. 
5. Receive nomination requests and classify them, submit reports to the Board of Trustees and coordinate with the arbitration committee and evaluation teams to sort the applications and distribute them to the work teams. 
6 - Coordination between the concerned parties in the Award and its Board of Trustees and the Arbitration Committee and have the necessary procedures to do so. 
7. Preparation of the award ceremony after its approval by the Board of Trustees. 

The Technical Secretariat shall have a Secretary-General appointed by decision of the Executive Council of the Emirate. The resolution shall specify the functions and responsibilities of the Secretary-General. 

The financial resources of the Award are as follows: 
1- Governmental support allocated to it in the budget of the Emirate government. 
2. The proceeds of sponsorship of the activities and programmes of the Award presented by the public and private sector and accepted by the Council. 
3. Any other resources proposed by the Board and approved by the service. 

The fiscal year starts from the first of January and ends on the end of December of each year, with the first fiscal year commencing from the effective date of this decree and ending on the 31st of December of the same year. 

The Award shall be exempt from all local government taxes and fees in all its forms and types. 

The decree stipulates that the Executive Council of the Emirate shall issue, by a proposal from the Government Relations Department, the necessary executive regulations and decisions to achieve the objectives of this decree in coordination with the Board of Trustees. 

This Decree shall come into effect from the date of its issuance, and the concerned bodies shall implement it in its respective fields and shall be published in the Official Gazette.