Abu Dhabi: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Wednesday led a national rally marking the opening of the Qasr Al Hosn Festival.
They inspected the progress of restoration work taking place at Qasr Al Hosn, where they were briefed on the festival’s event programme and its associated cultural and heritage activities, designed to bring the emirate’s rich heritage alive.
Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid and Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed watched an interactive show that narrates Abu Dhabi’s story. The show was projected on the interior walls of the fortress.
“The UAE is proud of its cultural heritage, which we’ll preserve & transfer to future generations to safeguard our authentic Emirati identity. We will be loyal to the values of our forefathers, finding inspiration in their glorious history to continue our approach for development,” Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed tweeted.
Today, the UAE is witnessing landmark achievements that will never stop, and we are pressing ahead with strong will and determination, he added.
Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Shaikh Ammar Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, and Shaikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Adviser and Vice-Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, as well as other Shaikhs and senior officials, were present.
The 10-day event, organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), covers 47,000 square metres and is divided into five zones.
Over 2,000 men and women from the military were part of the parade that was performed on Wednesday.
A group of women portraying an Emirati family from a village in the olden days, carrying out their daily chores, captured the attention of Shaikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Adviser, who walked around the 45,000 square meters festival and the various stalls and zones.
He stopped and watched women as they were speaking traditional Emirati dialect and applauded their performance.
Sara Mohammad, one of the village performers said, “We were really happy to be part of Qasr Al Hosn but to have the Shaikh applaud for us has given us new strength to continue our performance. We are extremely excited as we performed before our leaders.”
Qasr Al Hosn Festival will run until February 13, and is expected to attract over 120,000 visitors.
Qasr Al Hosn, which has stood as the symbolic birthplace of the Emirate and home to Abu Dhabi’s ruling Al Nahyan family, continues to undergo a comprehensive process of preservation, restoration and rehabilitation.
The 2016 festival celebrates the fort’s status as a historic monument and community hub, and honour the UAE’s founders and their visionary leadership.
— With WAM inputs
