Thousands flock to festival of light
Sharjah's celebration of its heritage includes displays set to music and entertainment
Sharjah: The first Sharjah Light Festival has attracted thousands of visitors in the past week, particularly at the popular Hisn Fort and the heritage area.
The Light Festival, organised by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), runs until February 18 at 12 locations, and celebrates the emirate's popular landmarks.
Shaikh Sultan Bin Ahmad Al Qasimi, Chairman of SCTDA, visited the various sites on Monday and said Sharjah had long been a home to culture, history, art, education and heritage.
"We are witnessing a large influx of spectators during the Light Festival and this is another achievement for the emirate of Sharjah, which drove us to exert more effort in organising such events," he said.
The Light Festival, which is being held for the first time, was supervised and executed by world-class artists and professionals with extensive international experience in Lyon, France, and Berlin, Germany.
Festival organisers emphasised that they had used a new, high quality light-presentation technique — light emitting diode (LED) — which consumes minimal power. In addition, street lights would be switched off during the light shows.
The SCTDA said it would take the opportunity to raise awareness about saving electricity by using new power-saving techniques.
For the festival, the heritage area came to life with coloured lights, music, art and cultural shows. The children's theatre presented the popular story of The Little Prince, by French author and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Festival entertainment will include live performances and light shows set to music.
