A piece of Kiswah on display.

Special exhibitions, unique offers, viewer and customer friendly experiences, cultural bonanzas and more of the same, are of course a feature of Ramadan. This year too sees the emirate of Sharjah live the spirit of the holy month.  Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, which broadly explores the Islamic faith and its cultural impact on numerous countries around the world, has opened its doors free of charge throughout Ramadan.

Muslim and Non-Muslim visitors are being welcomed by the five pillars of Islam as they walk into the museum’s Abu Bakr Gallery of Islamic Faith, where exhibits narrate the story of the world’s fastest growing religion.

The pillars — declaration of faith (Shahada), prayer (Salah), annual charity (Zakat), fasting (Sawm) and pilgrimage (Hajj) — constitute the basic norms of Islamic practice.

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A detailed explanation of the history and production of Kiswah, the black silk cloth that covers Al Kaaba, is provided in writing and in video. Parts of an actual Kiswah are also showcased. Also on display are pictures that document the history of Al Kaaba, Al Masjid Al-Haram - known as the Great Mosque of Makkah - and other areas of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, between 1920 and 1960. An image shows the rock which Muslims believe Prophet Ibrahim stepped on, while building Al Kaaba.

Manal Ataya, Director General of Sharjah Museum Authority (SMA) said that the exhibits in the galleries illustrate the expansive nature of Islam, and challenges the false perceptions people may have of its influence on the world throughout the ages. 

Serving the same purpose, she said SMA annually hosts exhibitions in cooperation with international cultural institutions.

The facade of the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization.

The Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation (SRTI) Park is launching special courses in 3D printing for school and university students from April 12 by throwing open the doors of its laboratories to students  during the holy month of Ramadan.

The three-day intensive courses are designed to allow students to explore new topics and learn innovative future skills in 3D printing techniques. 

They will learn how to print on plastics through high-end devices. In addition, there will be workshops in design and programming processes to create innovative products, using modern technology. The courses will be held at the Sharjah Open Lab for Innovation (SoiLAB) starting for a period of three consecutive days. SRTI Park was designed to international standards of building modern technology parks. One of its components is the Middle East Test Center for Smart Manufacturing or what is called additive manufacturing.  The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has also unveiled the new logo of the 32nd Sharjah Ramadan Festival at its event which began April 2 and concludes on May 4 across various regions and cities of Sharjah, during Ramadan.

The logo design is simple, and its characters look aesthetic and attractive. The dimensions, colours and type of font are designed to be in harmony with each other, and the colours used reflect joy, happiness, and the ambience of the holy month.  This year’s edition features numerous marketing, entertainment, heritage, historical, artistic, and religious programmes.

The Organizing Committee of the Sharjah Ramadan Festival 2022 has also developed the festival website to provide comprehensive services to the public and information about its programme in Arabic and English.

It includes a schedule of grand raffle draws, and a special section including names of the winners of prizes allocated by the centres and shops participating in the festival and the entertainment shows held. This is in addition to News & Media section and the festival social media pages, to keep the public updated with the latest news, exclusive offers, and big surprises.

In line with the culture of giving, Sharjah Coop has announced the allocation of Dhs30 million to support more than 20,000 consumer goods during Ramadan, which includes special offers on products of up to 90 per cent on all basic consumer products in line with its campaign “Ramadanak Wayana”. The campaign to support basic Ramadan goods includes 11 promotions.

The Coop has introduced 4 types of Ramadan baskets, with prices ranging from Dhs49 to Dhs399. They contain a variety of items that meet the needs of consumers at discounted rates of more than 50 per cent. The baskets include basic commodities such as rice, sugar, flour, oils, juices, etc., and are available in all Sharjah Coop branches and on the coop’s online store. The Coop is also coordinating with institutions and charities to distribute Ramadan ‘mir’ in the form of various food baskets in order to provide the beneficiary families the necessary food items during the holy month.

10 million points have been allocated from My Coop rewards programme within the Ramadan goodness campaign, whereby 5 million points will be drawn for 5 winners, with a value of 1 million points for each winner, in addition to a draw for 100 winners, with a value of 25,000 points for each winner. Additionally, there are raffle draws for a luxury car, home furniture for 15 winners worth 10,000 dirhams for each winner, a raffle draw on kitchen supplies and appliances for 15 winners worth 5,000 dirhams for each winner, in addition to a raffle draw on gift cards for 100 winners, worth 500 dirhams for each shopper. Sharjah Coop was established in 1977 with the aim to provide consumer products and food products at reasonable prices, through 47 branches spread throughout the emirate of Sharjah.