Sultan Bin Ahmed opens Sharjah Events Festival

Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, inaugurated the fourth edition of the Sharjah Events Festival on Thursday evening.

The Sharjah Events website, in collaboration with the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, will organise the festival, themed "It Shines with its Festivities," at Al Majaz Amphitheatre from December 12 to 15.

His Highness toured the interactive dome, crafted to mirror the natural surroundings, where he observed a visual presentation detailing the agenda for Sharjah's events in 2025.

The events scheduled for the upcoming year will involve a range of government and private entities. Subsequently, His Highness explored the festival, showcasing 52 events and activities arranged by the participating entities. These encompass competitions, challenges, games, and interactive performances.

His Highness received an overview of the involvement of government and private institutions in Sharjah, showcasing a diverse array of events and activities aimed at both children and adults. He navigated the diverse pavilions that provided guests with engaging experiences brimming with adventure and thrill.

His Highness also delved into the various activities focused on forest adventures, offering audiences distinctive experiences that simulated nature throughout the four days of the festival.

Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed interacts with children during the festival.

The planned activities feature land paddling competitions, treasure hunts, puppet shows, balloon displays, a balance chair challenge, and interactive games that blend enjoyment with education. The festival stage features a diverse array of performances all day long.

His Highness also explored areas showcasing funfairs and live theatrical performances, along with other zones tailored to complement the nature of the activities presented. Additionally, a food corner features an array of restaurants, providing a complete experience for festival attendee.

The opening ceremony saw the presence of Sheikh Salem Bin Mohammed Bin Salem Al Qasimi, Director of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority; Tariq Saeed Allay، Director General of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau; Hassan Yaqoub Al Mansoori, Secretary General of the Sharjah Media Council (SMC); Ali Ahmed Al Hosani, Director of the Sharjah Private Education Authority; Ali Al Ghaithi, Director of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority; and Alia Bu Ghanem Al Suwaidi, Director of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), along with numerous officials and festival attendees.

This year’s colourful festival is themed around forest adventures, offering the public a rare opportunity to enjoy unforgettable experiences and recreate nature’s enchanting environment over four days from 4pm to 10pm.

The chief attraction of the festival this year is a live show of popular cartoon characters, Masha and the Bear, who are accompanied by their friends, panda, tiger and penguin, recreating the magical atmosphere of the jungle. The show is presented twice daily between 6:30 and 9:00 pm. The festival has dedicated areas for carnival and live theatrical performances apart from an inviting food court boasting a number of world-class restaurants and eateries offering a complete and rich culinary experience to festival visitors.

The festival provides free parking for visitors in the nearby Al Layyah suburb in the Government Buildings Area, with free shuttle buses allocated to transport visitors to and from Al Majaz Amphitheatre.

The Sharjah Events Festival tickets can be purchased online at nominal prices through the booking website https://plantinumlist.net.

Earlier, Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed emphasised the significance of fostering competition between government and private entities under his leadership.

He highlighted this during the meeting held on Wednesday at the House of Wisdom, where he discussed the Institutional Excellence Award - Tamayuz.

This award is aimed at positively impacting organisations by driving institutional development, improving the services offered to both institutions and individuals and enhancing job satisfaction, all of which contribute to achieving institutional excellence and effective governance.

He outlined the necessity for senior leadership to maintain direct oversight and guidance over the efforts of their teams. Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed stressed the importance of understanding the concepts and goals of the award, which promotes a culture of excellence and competitiveness. This focus is essential for improving performance, encouraging continuous development, enhancing service quality, ensuring customer satisfaction, and equipping the workforce with the skills needed for the future.