SAF unveils UAE’s 1st public gallery dedicated to photography

The new venue was inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, together with senior officials and artists, on 8 November 2025. 

The building is part of the Foundation’s ongoing initiative to repurpose and activate modern and heritage structures as spaces for art and culture across the Emirate of Sharjah. Facing the prominent Kuwait Roundabout in Al Manakh, the Photography Gallery was formerly a telecommunications building. Originally constructed in the late 1970s, it was among Sharjah’s earliest modern structures, commissioned during a period of rapid expansion following the region’s oil boom. From its construction until its disuse in the early 2010s, the building underwent multiple alterations and partial demolitions. 

Following extensive historical research and documentation, the design process of the Photography Gallery focused on revealing the structure’s historical layers while opening up expansive spaces to support its programme. The Foundation’s interventions were designed to retain selected elements of the building’s past, creating a dialogue between new materials and the original architectural fabric.

The new building functions as a multifaceted cultural hub dedicated to the medium of photography. The two-storey building houses a gallery featuring photographs and archival documents from the collection of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah; two large-scale exhibition halls, each with a distinct architectural expression; learning spaces for lectures and workshops; a dark room; and a café. 

The educational facilities are organised as a large, open studio that can accommodate different workshop configurations. The space is equipped with digital printing stations with film scanning capabilities, and a dedicated darkroom for analog printing. It also features its own cyclorama, suitable for studio-based photo shoots, along with enclosed workshop spaces for more focused activities.

As part of its robust year-round programme, the Photography Gallery will host Vantage Point Sharjah, the Foundation’s annual photography exhibition, as well as professional workshops, film initiatives and large-scale exhibitions by international photographers. 

The Photography Gallery joins other adaptive reuse projects such as The Flying Saucer, Kalba Ice Factory, Old Al Dhaid Clinic and the Arts Palace—spaces that host diverse public programmes, placing contemporary art in dialogue with Sharjah’s rich architectural heritage. 

The project was designed by Sharjah Art Foundation Team (Ali Al Saqban and Nethra Ganesan) in collaboration with SpaceContinuum Design Studio, and was executed by Dawson Partners.