SHARJAH: Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Executive Council of Sharjah, attended the opening ceremony of the Sharjah Light Festival 2019, which was held at the Sharjah City Municipality on Wednesday evening.

The Festival is being organized by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) from February 6 to 16 this year.

The ninth edition of the Sharjah Light Festival, themed ‘Culture and Family,’ forms part of the Authority’s continuing efforts and initiatives to highlight the emirate’s unique identity, and its cultural and architectural heritage, thereby enhancing its position on the global tourism map to achieve the objectives of the Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021.

To the delight of the spectators, the inaugural show featured unique creations with spectacular visual art paintings building on musical notes, using the latest advanced optical technology. Created by the French artist Laurent Langlois and titled ‘Transmission’, the show embodies the ancient Arab culture and cultural diversity in the Emirate of Sharjah and highlights the most prominent architectural aesthetics in the details of the municipality building, which is a masterpiece landmark of the emirate.

The show also symbolizes the elements of Arab and Islamic culture the emirate of Sharjah is famous for, in the fields of education, culture, science, environment and conservation, Islamic architecture, Arab civilization and heritage, in addition to sports, music and astronomy; fields in which Arabs have excelled since historic times.

Commenting on the opening, H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA said: "Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah and with the continuous support of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Executive Council of Sharjah, in the last few years, we have been able to support the emirate's vision and achieve its ambitious goals.

Today, the emirate stands as one of the most important tourist destinations in the world and we are currently working with local entities to achieve more successes in the tourism sector. These efforts will contribute to raising the emirate’s profile as a destination with a thriving tourism and hospitality industry. We are confident that the festival will attract even more crowds to enjoy its innovative themes and unique light creations."

Al Midfa emphasized the objectives of the festival, adding that "the festival reflects the success of the national efforts to strengthen the emirate's position at the local and international levels by highlighting its true identity, and moving forward towards an even brighter future, while adhering to its values and preserving its rich cultural and social heritage."

An array of international artists will present magnificent creations with light over the next 11 days, presenting a total of 20 light shows. The shows will be spread over 17 popular locations in Sharjah, including Sharjah University City Campus Avenue, Sharjah Police Academy, University City Hall, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah Book Authority, Sharjah City Municipality, Khalid Lagoon, Palm Oasis, Masjid Al Noor, Al Qasba - Internal Façades, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in addition to another group of sites in the eastern region of Sharjah and Hamriyah: Municipality and Municipal Council (Al Hamriyah), Municipality, Municipal Council and Town Planning Department (Khorfakkan), Masjid Sheikh Rashid Bin Ahmad Al Qasimi (Dibba Al Hisn), Municipality, Municipal Council and Directorate of Human Resources (Kalba).

Also present during the opening ceremony of the Sharjah Light Festival 2019, along with His Highness the Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, were H.E. Sheikh Khaled bin Abdullah bin Sultan Al Qasimi, chairman of the Department of Seaports & Customs, Sharjah Airport International Free Zone and Hamriyah Free Zone Authority; H.E. Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Sports Council, H.E. Sheikh Khalid Bin Issam Al Qassimi Chairman of the Department of Civil Aviation .

The opening ceremony was also attended by Major General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police; H.E Salem Ali Al Muhairi, Chairman of Sharjah Municipal Council; H.E Dr Tariq Sultan bin Khadem, Chairman of The Sharjah Human Resources Directorate; H.E Ali Salim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority; H.E Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, Chairperson of the Environment and Protected Areas Authority; H.E Salem Yousef Al Qaseer, Chairman of Sharjah Labour Standards Development Authority; and a number of directors of government departments, institutions and authorities in the Emirate of Sharjah.