'Sharjah F1 will keep on getting better'

Sharjah : The first half of December was a major milestone for the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) following the huge success of the annual Formula One Grand Prix — the final round on the UIM F1 World Powerboat Championship.

Leading the pack of enthusiastic organisers was Shaikh Sultan Bin Ahmad Al Qasimi, the dynamic Chairman of the authority. This was a decade that the Sharjah Grand Prix won several awards from UIM, the world governing body for watersports.

Shaikh Sultan is unfazed by the challenges ahead as he indicates a strong vision to turn this event into one of the best in the region, if not the world. Excerpts from an interview:

GULF NEWS: How would you chart the growth or the evolution of the etisalat Sharjah Water Festival over the past few years?

SHAIKH SULTAN: We started small, but we have been growing each year. And during the week gone by we had a finale to the celebrations for our 10th anniversary of the race. I think we as a team do a fantastic job when it comes to getting a world-class event on the water. And I would have been happier if the Abu Dubai Team had won the race.

 How does such an event help the authority or the emirate of Sharjah for that matter?

Our goal has always been wholesome entertainment for the family. So three years back we combined the F1 race with the etisalat Water Festival and the success has been instant. The local community has participated and embraced this event, and this in turn, has helped us take Sharjah to the world. The exposure for this event has been great and we have achieved our goal of giving a bit of Sharjah to all.

With so many awards already under your belt, what future do you envisage for this event?

Our endeavour has always been to ensure the race next year is better than this year. To ensure this, we keep on looking at the negatives all the time. We go by the surmise that no one is perfect, so we need to look at those aspects where we lag behind so that we can iron these out in time for the next race. We meet, brain storm and introspect and then put it on a scale so that we can deliver a much better and bigger race to all.

You spoke about family entertainment. How does this aspect work?

We bring in the best entertainers in the business each year. Etisalat and all other sponsors have been more than cooperative when it comes to supporting this cause. Our idea is to bring families together on one platform. They come and become part of this event. For the full 10 days Sharjah wears a festive look and residents look forward to this event. It is such a good time of the year and families can come out of their houses and enjoy the fare laid out for them.

How does the F1 race fit into the scheme of things here?

The F1 race is our finale. It's our way of saying goodbye to yet another successful water festival. It's the jewel in the crown for us. The attention of the entire world, sporting or otherwise, is on Sharjah during that week. And then, there is the race itself. It is held on the most ideal location along the Khalid Lagoon. The water is excellent and all drivers see this as the perfect place to cap yet another perfect season. As the organisers it is our vision to provide them the best, and we do give them the best. This in turn ensures that the sport goes up one level higher.