Sharjah: Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, opened on Friday the 23rd edition of the Sir Bu Nair Festival, organised by the Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah (EPAA).
A number of Sharjah government departments are participating in the festival which focuses on highlighting marine life, environment, culture and tourism.
Sheik Sultan bin Ahmed along with Sharjah government officials toured the island reviewing the festival’s diverse environmental, cultural, and tourism events.
Exhibition
During the event, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed also visited the exhibition learning about island’s crafts and other marine-related topics. He was also briefed about historical importance of Sir Bu Nair island and its natural environmental elements.
During the festival, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed released sea turtles on the beach of Sir Bu Nair Island. The festival includes a rich and diverse selection of activities, events, and programs that are informative, educational, and entertaining. The festival includes performances of the traditional band and various tournaments such as swimming, football, kayak competitions, traditional rowing, tug of war competition.
Where is Sir Bu Nair Island
Sir Bu Nair Island spans over 13 square km and is located 110 kilometres from the city of Sharjah. The island is distinguished by its sandy beaches and clear waters, its marine life is rich in coral and variety of fish.
The island is of international importance as it has already been included in the International Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar), in order to preserve its environmental components rich in biodiversity. It has also been included in the Unesco preliminary list of World Heritage Sites, and its acceptance in a memorandum of understanding on the protection and management of sea turtles and their habitats in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia.
Honouring government entities
He also honoured the sponsoring entities of the festival, including the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, the Sharjah Police, Sharjah Broadcasting Authority, the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, Sharjah International Marine Sports Club, Sharjah Sports Council, Tilal Properties, Sharjah Institute for Driving, and Emirates Marine Environmental Group. He presented them with shields as a token of appreciation and took commemorative photos with them.
The festival was attended by Major General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police (SP); Hana Saif Abdullah Al Suwaidi, Chairperson of Environment and Protected Areas Authority; Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA); Ali Saqr Sultan Al Suwaidi, President of Emirates Marine Environmental Group; Mohammed Hassan Khalaf, Director General of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority; Asma Rashid Bin Taliah, Secretary-General of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Sharjah, and a number of officials representing government and private agencies, athletes and interested parties.
