This year marks a major professional milestone for Manal Ataya, a culture specialist from the UAE, who will celebrate 20 years of working in the museum sector. Ataya has dedicated her focus to the historical emirate of Sharjah, where she was the Director General of the Sharjah Museums Authority, comprising 16 museums that delve into a variety of subjects, from Islamic art to marine life.

“Museums have always been places of wonder and creative awakening for me, and they continue to remind me of the beauty of curiosity and the healing power that art and culture can play throughout lives,” she shares. “My first museum visit was to the Natural History Museum in London in the late 1980s, where I saw the awe-inspiring ‘Dinosaurs Live!’ interactive exhibition with my mum. That thrilling experience sparked a lifelong fascination with dinosaurs—perfectly timed with the growing cultural excitement that would soon include the movie franchise of Jurassic Park. It ignited a curiosity and passion for discovery that I’ve never lost.”