Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi and the audience watched the Emirati traditional and artistic performances that began with the Heritage Days ceremony. They also watched a variety show presented by the National Folklore Troupe representing the Republic of South Korea, the guest of honour for this year’s session.
Deputy Ruler of Sharjah toured the Heritage Square in the heart of Sharjah, listening to an explanation of what the event corridors contain and what the participating entities from inside and outside the country offer. He stopped at a number of participating pavilions that embodied the established status of popular heritage and its impact on the minds and lives of peoples.
Visiting the Jeju province’s exhibition of the Republic of South Korea, the official guest of honor, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed expressed his appreciation for the diversity and richness of the country’s cultural heritage and the distinguished artistic and aesthetic components it possesses. He reviewed the various heritage environments included in the event, including the Bedouin, agricultural and mountainous environments, praising the efforts of the organisers and those in charge of various events and their interest in protecting and disseminating heritage, and preserving authentic local values, customs and traditions.
Held from February 22 to March 3, with participations from Morocco, Egypt, Palestine, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Kuwait, in addition to the United States of America, Montenegro, Turkey, and Slovakia, this year’s edition of the activities of Sharjah Heritage Days cover six different cities in the Emirate of Sharjah: Sharjah, Al Hamriyah, Dibba Al Hisn, Khorfakkan, Kalba, and Al Dhaid.
The SHD activities include three main exhibitions: two exhibitions for the guest of honour, Jeju Province, which display museum collections of heritage value, the daily life exhibition, which highlights the nature of the simple life of the Haenyeo; and the elements of the Emirati intangible cultural heritage exhibition, which deals with the elements of intangible cultural heritage listed in UNESCO, which includes fifteen elements.
Sharjah Heritage Days activities offer its visitors an array of heritage activities including heritage, artistic, entertainment and awareness workshops and games, in addition to popular games, cup-engraving workshops, musical arts and heritage performances.
Attending the opening ceremony alongside Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, were Sheikh Majid bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Suburbs Affairs; Sheikh Majid bin Abdullah bin Majid Al Qasimi, Director of the Government Relations Department; Sheikh Salem bin Mohammed bin Salem Al Qasimi, Director of the Commerce and Tourism Development Authority; Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Consultative Council; a number of senior officials, heads and directors of government departments, ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions in the country, representatives of participating countries, and a group of visitors to the Sharjah Heritage Days activities.