Around 5,000 activities held across the cities and regions of the emirate, spanning over 1,000 arts, theatrical and literary activities.
After about 5,000 diverse and exceptional cultural activities last year, the Emirate of Sharjah has become eligible for many international awards, the most recent of which is the title capital of Islamic culture for the year 2014.
This was affirmed on Thursday in the Sixth Session of the Sharjah Consultative Council as part of the first regular meeting of the Eighth Legislative Chapter.
The council members, chaired by Abdurrahman Al Hajiri, Spokesman of the Sharjah Consultative Council, discussed the policies of the Department of Culture and Information in Sharjah.
Abdullah Mohammed Al Owais, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Information, said the department, since its inception in 1981, has spared no effort in actively developing awareness about culture, heritage, arts, books and the theatre in an integrated vision and strategy. “The department holding hundreds of activities on a monthly and yearly basis — particularly the ‘Days of Sharjah’ which focus more on the theatre, poetry and heritage — has turned the emirate into a cultural hub in the region.”
Al Owais, who is also member of the Sharjah Executive Council, said the tireless effort and diverse festivals, meetings, forums and activities held were crystallised when the emirate was crowned the capital of Islamic culture for the year 2014. “The department held over 500 activities as part of the Sharjah International Book Fair, and 550 during the Sharjah Reading Festival. Over 2,000 activities were held during the Sharjah heritage days in the city of Sharjah, as well as the cities of the Central and Eastern regions.”
Al Owais said the department held around 5,000 activities across the cities and regions of the emirate, spanning over 1,000 arts, theatrical and literary activities, and 1,200 in the cities of the Central and Eastern regions.
“Such vigorous work has made Sharjah win several prestigious and refined titles and awards, such as the emirate being named the capital of Arab culture in 1998.”
The department, as part of its strategic plan, is now working on an emirate-wide cultural project in view of an extensive cultural and architectural infrastructure as instructed by His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, he added.
