The Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation and the Jordanian Abdul Hamid Shoman Foundation signed an MoU with a view to enhancing scientific and cultural cooperation between Arab institutions. The MoU was signed in the presence of the Al Owais Cultural Award winners in its 11th session, Arab guests and UAE scholars. The document was signed by Abdul Hamid Ahmad, Secretary-General of the Al Owais Cultural Foundation, and Thabet Al-Taher, General Manager of the Abdul Hamid Shoman Foundation in Jordan.
This MoU is a natural reflection of the desire of Arab national institutions to enhance and promote inter-cooperation; and Al Owais Foundation was a forerunner in this field trough the joint activities it initiated over the past few years in numerous Arab capitals and cities, including Fez, Damascus and Cairo.

Abdul Hamid Ahmad, Al Owais Secretary-General commented that this agreement was signed in the context of: "Enhancing and continuing the already existing relationship between the two Arab cultural institutions, and inline with our cultural policies that aim to expand our cultural activities beyond awarding prizes to contributing to cultural activities in the Arab World through individual collaboration with cultural institutions in every Arab country." The Secretary-General considered this agreement as the "first of many more in the Arab world and the UAE."

For his part, Thabet Al-Taher expressed his delight at signing this bilateral agreement and at his presence at Al Owais Foundation, which he described as a great beacon. He went on to say that: "Both institutions have much in common, the first and foremost shared goal is serving cultural issues." He added that: "The prizes awarded by the two institutions are a live example of our appreciation for our scientists, intellectuals, and thinkers." He also spoke of the broad areas of cooperation between the two institutions which are not limited to coordinating award committees, but extends to conducting seminars, exchanging visits and publications, and digitally linking the libraries. Al-Taher went on to say that: "Signing this MoU is just the beginning of an integrated work program which includes a joint symposium."

The MoU provides for cooperation in the common areas serving the goals and directions of both institutions. This includes consultation; sharing opinions; exchanging invitations, conferences and seminars; exchanging books, periodicals and publications produced by each;  sharing scientific and cultural development in the field of libraries, and in particular linking the libraries of both institutions via the Internet.

One of the main articles of the MoU stipulates that each institution represents the other in its own country so that each can take advantage of the technical capabilities available to the other. The MoU also stipulates the implementation of joint projects, and sharing information and documents on a regular basis. The appendix of the agreement stipulates that Abdul Hamid Shoman Foundation and the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation will collaborate to organize a specialized seminar in October in Amman, Jordan - topics and participants to be announced at a later date.