Sheikh Sultan watches the opening performances of Sharjah Desert Theatre Festival on Friday evening. WAM

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated the activities of the sixth edition of the Sharjah Desert Theatre Festival. The festival will run from Dec.9 to 13, in the Al Kihaif area.

The Ruler of Sharjah followed the inaugural performance of the festival, the play "Salloum Al Arab," written by Sultan Al Neyadi, directed by Mohammed Al Ameri, and presented by the Sharjah National Theatre troupe, with the participation of a number of the most prominent theater artists in the country.
Sheikh Sultan interacts with the artists during the ceremony.

This play embodies the Emirati Bedouin environment with its customs and traditions, through three stories that have been handed down from generations, and the wisdom and expressions they bear, about the generosity, courage and altruism of the people of this good land.

The show included a number of performance arts, including narration, poetry and show, the participation of horses and camels in the scenes, and the use of a group of elements that contributed to providing a distinctive theatrical space that communicated the idea and objectives of the text to the audience.

An art performance in progress.

The festival witnesses the participation of five theatrical performances from the Emirates, Egypt, Morocco, Syria and Mauritania, in addition to the presence of dozens of theatrical artists from most Arab countries.

The festival mixes new theatrical solutions, performance arts, and traditional storytelling created by Bedouin societies.

In conjunction with the theatrical performances, the festival organizes daily critical discussions that shed light on the technical aspects of the participating performances, and discuss their topics and techniques.

The program accompanying the nights of the festival also includes a variety of activities to exchange knowledge and visions, and build bridges of communication and interaction between participants and guests.
Sheikh Sultan attends the inauguration ceremony of Sharjah Desert Theatre Festival. WAM 

The Sharjah Festival for Desert Theatre is organizing an intellectual symposium entitled “Desert Theater and the Origination of Arab Spectacle,” as well as exhibitions and competitions that celebrate Bedouin environments.

It also holds dinner parties and daily performances that reflect the diversity of the folklore of the countries participating in this session.