Sultan to open Sharjah Light Festival Thursday

His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, will formally open the Sharjah Light Festival 2013 tonight at Al Qasba. Hosted by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTD) for the third consecutive year, the Sharjah Light Festival will run until February 15 highlighting 14 landmarks in various parts of the emirate. The 14 locations that will create the magic this year include Al Qasba External and Internal Facades, Sharjah Hisn (Fort), Masjid Al Noor, Cultural Palace Square, Al Majaz Waterfront, Khalid Lagoon, Masjid Al Majaz, Courthouse Complex, Central Souk, Sharjah Consultative Council and Kuwait Square, Sharjah International Airport, Masjid Omar bin Al Khattab in Khorfakkan and Sharjah University Campus in Kalba on the East Coast. Dubbed “Nine days of countless experiences at 14 locations”, the Sharjah Light Festival will once again turn the spotlight on Sharjah’s celebrated monuments, landmarks, history and culture using some of the most advanced and sophisticated lighting techniques, 3D imagery and artistic contributions by internationally acclaimed artists and technical wizards from Europe and the region. The festival is held under the patronage of Dr Sheikh Sultan directed at showcasing Sharjah’s status as a global tourism destination with a difference and boosting the tourism sector in the emirate. New exciting shows and features by international artists who have performed in several world capitals, will be debuting in this year’s edition, which is the first of its kind in the Middle East. Chairman of the SCTDA Mohammed Ali Al Noman said that the two new locations to the Sharjah Light Festival this year are Khorfakkan and Kalba on the East Coast. “Sharjah Light Festival 2013 will focus on the Emirati and Arab seafaring traditions,” he said. “The Festival has been a success for over the past two years attracting thousands of visitors and the interests of regional and international media. We, as organisers, are confident that this year’s edition will receive even more attention from across the region and beyond contributing to the tourism sector and emphasising Sharjah’s position as a perfect family tourism destination,” said Al Noman. Source: Khaleej Times