Sharjah Museums Authority (SMA) has launched its new Virtual Guide project in select museums across Sharjah to step up its efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19 and improve visitors’ experience.

To ensure the health and safety of its visitors and staff, SMA has replaced the traditional audio guide devices at some of its museums with the touch-free technology.

"At SMA, we are constantly looking for new ways to expand our digital offering and improve accessibility to our museums and collections, especially in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic," said Manal Ataya, Director-General of SMA.

The new project facilities an easier and faster access to information about masterpieces at Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation, while car enthusiasts can learn about a large selection of old automobiles available at Sharjah Classic Cars Museum.

Meanwhile, visitors of Sharjah Heritage Museum and Sharjah Fort (Al Hisn), which is considered one of the of most important landmarks in the emirate, have the opportunity to learn about Sharjah’s rich history, heritage and Emirati culture.

Sharjah Archaeology Museum offers a vast collection of artifacts that were discovered in Sharjah, some of which are as old as 125,000 BC.

Visitors can use their smart phones and tablets at the museum to browse through the museums’ collections and listen to the history behind them without having the need to install any new application.

The service allows scanning the QR Code of collections or specific objects for more information about them.

Available in English and Arabic, the audio guide will help users find nearby attractions while providing them with more knowledge about various museums’ collections.