Sharjah 24: Under the generous patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, and in the presence of Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, witnessed the launch of the 11th edition of the "Sharjah Light Festival 2022", organised by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority from February 9 to 20, at the University City Hall.

This year's Sharjah Light Festival will be held under the slogan "Echoes of the Future", where the festival's performances will celebrate the ancient Islamic heritage that characterises the edifices and architectural buildings in the Emirate of Sharjah, providing a vision of the past, present and future of the Emirate.



During the inaugural ceremony, the attendees watched a video presentation entitled "50 years of Sultan’s Love", which dealt with the most prominent achievements of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, in many areas that contributed to the development of the Emirate, on the occasion of five decades of His Highness's accession.



The attendees also watched a presentation of the most important stations of the festival this year, distributed among the most prominent places in the cities and regions of the Emirate.



At the opening of the festival, the attendees watched distinguished performances that dealt with the successive stages of life in Sharjah, starting with the old, where the dazzling show highlighted the importance of the sea, the book and the library in its life cycle, and its development over time. The show moved to the "present" by highlighting the most important achievements of the Emirate of Sharjah in various fields, moving towards the bright future of the Emirate.



In his opening speech, Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of the Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, expressed his thanks and appreciation to Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi and Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, for honouring the launching ceremony of the festival’s activities this year.



Al Midfa stressed that the “Sharjah Light Festival 2022”, in its eleventh edition, is considered one of the stations of the success and distinction of the tourism sector in the Emirate of Sharjah. He maintain that this is an extension of the efforts of years of joint work and continuous pursuit to chart the features of a bright future for the Emirate of Sharjah, a future that consolidates its name and lofty position, as a tourist destination. 



The Chairman of the Commerce and Tourism Development Authority said, "Our tourism achievements would not have been achieved and our success would not continue year after year, had it not been for the insightful vision and constant support of our wise leadership, represented by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah." 



He added that this vision was established over the course of 50 years, renewing the pledge to continue the march of progress and development by working with all partners in the Emirate to consolidate its position on the global tourism map and achieve its leadership in various forums and fields.

Al Midfa concluded his speech by pointing out that the Emirate of Sharjah enjoys a rich legacy of beauty and unique architecture, which distinguishes its landmarks, buildings and engineering edifices, and combines in its details the past and the future. 

Over the course of the festival, the public will be on a date with a number of distinctive artistic performances to cover the various landmarks and edifices of the Emirate of Sharjah. 



After the opening ceremony, Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi and Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi and the attendees toured the area designated for owners of national small and medium enterprises in the field of food, beverages and sweets manufacturing opposite the University City Hall, with the participation of more than 30 participants.


The opening of the festival was witnessed by: Sheikh Majid bin Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Director of Districts and Villages Affairs Department, Sheikh Saud bin Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Director of the Sharjah Digital Office, Sheikh Salem bin Mohammed bin Salem Al Qasimi, Director of the Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, a number of heads of local departments in the Government of Sharjah and senior officials. In addition to a number of ambassadors and consuls of countries of the state, and a crowd of media professionals and the public.