Sharjah 24: Sharjah Department of Suburbs Affairs (SDSA) held a press conference to announce the details of the 13th edition of the Suburbs Festival, which is one of the most prominent annual community programmes in the emirate.
The conference was held, on Wednesday, at the headquarters of BEEAH, and was attended by Sheikh Majid bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of SDSA; Major General Abdullah Mubarak bin Amer, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police; and Khalid Jassim Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), in addition to a number of officials, prominent figures, representatives of sponsoring and participating entities, and media professionals.
The festival will be held in Al Qarayen Park 4 from December 12 to 31, 2024. The location was carefully selected for its wide spaces and integrated facilities, including parking lots that contribute to facilitating access and reducing congestion, in addition to its location in the middle of the emirate’s main streets.
This year's edition features a variety of activities, including carefully distributed main corners to support the family experience and a main stage that presents a daily segment titled "Games with Suburbs", which aims to enhance interaction between family members, in addition to the Adventure Corner that focuses on supporting sustainability using containers as a main element and the Electric Games Corner that includes 17 new games suitable for all ages.
The festival also includes 47 productive families, 25 small mobile carts, 10 large mobile carts, in addition to five cafes and two bird shops.
Within the framework of the culture of volunteering, cooperation was made with Sharjah Volunteer Centre, with the participation of more than 200 volunteers from three different volunteer organisations, reflecting the spirit of giving and social responsibility in Sharjah.
The festival includes 92 events, with symbolic ticket prices, as the price of an individual ticket is only ten dirhams, while the family ticket provides entry for up to seven people for 20 dirhams, with children under the age of four and the disabled exempt from fees.
Dr. Abdullah Sulaiman Al Kabouri, Director of the Department of Suburbs Affairs, stressed that this year's festival reflects the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, towards strengthening family and community ties.
Al Kabouri added that the Suburbs Festival is not just an annual event, but rather a gathering point that reflects the values of the society and keenness to build a cohesive and interconnected society. In his speech, he pointed out that the new feature this year is the events area, which has been added with three distinct corners, including the Adventure Corner, which focuses on supporting sustainability using containers as a main component, and the corner contains various activities, such as bicycles that allow children to prepare their own juices, Lego car competitions, and the puzzle room that aims to develop children's mental skills through interesting experiences such as the "supermarket" and the "library".
Al Kabouri expressed his thanks to all the contributing and supporting entities for the Suburbs Festival in its thirteenth year, which exceeds 31 government and private entities that will present their segments daily in the park. Al Kabouri explained that the festival will offer a raffle for ten vehicles distributed over the weeks of events, in addition to a raffle for very valuable prizes for all visitors.
Saif Robari, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Festival, confirmed that the committee is looking forward to providing an exceptional experience that meets the aspirations of families and combines fun and noble community values throughout the festival’s organisation period from December 12 to December 31 in Al Qarain Park 4 during the students’ vacation, which aims to strengthen ties between individuals and families, as it aims to build a cohesive society that supports the concept of family and enhances national identity.
Major General Abdullah Mubarak bin Amer, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police, pointed out the role of the festival in spreading community awareness and enhancing security and safety among members of society, and the importance of the partnership between the General Command of Sharjah Police and the department in combining efforts to serve community events.
Aisha Ghabbash, Director of the Events and Activities Department at the Sharjah Institute for Heritage (SIH), highlighted the cultural and heritage importance of the festival through workshops and lectures dedicated to all age groups, which reach 90 activities between workshops, heritage shows and various segments.
Salem Al Ghaithi, Director of Sharjah Broadcasting Authority (SBA), confirmed that the Authority will provide comprehensive media coverage of the festival, highlighting the activities and events, whether through daily and live coverage of the festival's events, in addition to weekly coverage via Sharjah Radio, in addition to the Authority's channels and platforms, praising the diversity of the festival's content this year.
Mohammed Obaid Al Tunaiji, Assistant Vice Chairman of Sharjah Islamic Bank, also reviewed the bank's role as a supporting sponsor of the event, and the bank's keenness, according to the Board of Directors' directives, to sponsor the festival annually and continue this sponsorship within the framework of the bank's commitment to social responsibility.
Khaled bin Falah Al Suwaidi, Director of Customer Service at Sharjah Municipality, stressed the integration of efforts to improve the infrastructure and support community events, based on the role of Sharjah Municipality in combining its efforts with various events that meet the vision of the Ruler of Sharjah and his wife in moving towards the family and society.
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