Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammed Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, H.H Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qassimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, witnessed the begin of the Sharjah Light Festival (SLF) 2018, yesterday (Wednesday, February 7, 2018) at the Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qassimi Centre. Organized by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), this leading occasion highlights the identification of Sharjah as a leading light for intellectual, social, and clinical ideas and enhances its placement on the worldwide tourist map, for the 8th consecutive year.

His Highness welcomed the launch of the festival, that made the Sharjah University City witness an amazing screen of light, enhanced with millions of glittering lights that commemorate the duty of science, knowledge and society in structure generations and future leaders. His Highness received a celebratory gift from H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of the SCTDA, on the occasion of the launch of this year's event.

The shows, which were observed by a huge target market at the opening of the festival, went over and innovative. They generated lovely light panels that utilized latest modern technology to mix light and music, and mirrored the Emirate's identity by symbolizing the heritage of its building structures to form splendid works of art. The exhibition additionally varied between history, creativity, and modernity, and an account of the history of the old emirate, with unusual paintings of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, on the occasion of the year of Zayed.

The Festival, which is spread throughout the cities of the emirate, is an invite to promote intercultural dialogue, particularly as it holds international artists from around the world. This year, 24 musicians from 10 different nations will organize one of the most attractive display screens under the instructions of the French director Mathieu Felix.

In his speech, H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of the SCTDA, thanked the Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah for recognizing the launch ceremony, which comes within the structure of the programs and objectives of the Authority to highlight the emirate's identity and clarified its cultural, heritage and building heritage.

"Over the past seven years, the emirate has managed to organize the Sharjah Light Festival on a globally level, and it approaches various other events hosted by significant world capitals for decades. Last year, the Festival drew in more than 700,000 individuals, and it was adhered to by more than 2 million individuals all over the world with social media," he added.

He added that the Authority has been working over the past 7 years to create the Festival and diversify its tasks to accomplish its purposes to be regular and to reaffirm the position of the emirate of Sharjah locally, regionally and globally. The Festival intends to highlight the cultural facet of the UAE and the emirate of Sharjah in particular as a tourist and cultural destination.

HE Khalid Jasim Al Midfa emphasized on the keenness of the Authority to earn even more efforts to present a new and distinguished light festival year after year, to accomplish the objectives of Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021.

The Sharjah Light Festival will certainly range from 7 to 17 February, 2018 and will be held in 18 places inside and outside the emirate of Sharjah. These include: Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi Center for Gulf Studies; Sharjah University City Campus Avenue; University City Hall; Police Academy; Khalid Lagoon; Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmed Al Qassimi Mosque in Dibba Al Hasn; Planning and Survey Department in Khorfakkan; Khorfakkan Municipality; Kalba City Municipality Council; the Directorate of Human Resources in Kalba and the Municipality Building of Al Hamriyah Town for the first time.

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qassimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council; Sheikh Khalid bin Issam Al Qassimi, Head of Sharjah Civil Aviation Department; Sheikh Faisal bin Saud Al Qasimi, Director of Sharjah International Airport Authority; Major General Saif Al Zri Al Shamsi, Director General of Sharjah Police; HE Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of Commercial and Tourism Development Authority; HE Dr. Tarek Bin Khadem, Head of Human Resources Department; HE Ali Ibrahim Al Marri, Head of Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi Department; and sponsors of the festival attended the opening ceremony.

Daily performances will certainly be held from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm on weekdays and from 6:00 pm to 12:00 twelve o'clock at night on weekends. For additional information, please go to https://www.sharjahlightfestival.ae.