SHARJAH, 19th May, 2023 (WAM) — H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, witnessed on Friday afternoon the launch of the 23rd edition of the Sir Bu Nair Festival, being organised by the Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah (EPAA) on the beach of Sir Bu Nair Island.
Sheikh Sultan performed the ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the beginning of the activities of the festival, which witnesses the participation of several government entities in the emirate of Sharjah. He then toured through the corridors of the festival, reviewing the festival’s diverse environmental, cultural, and tourism events.
During the event, Sheikh Sultan also visited the accompanying exhibition, learning about its crafts and other marine-related topics. He listened to the participating entities' presentations about their diverse activities that highlight their efforts in biodiversity conservation. Additionally, he learned about the historical evidence concerning Sir Bu Nair Island and its natural environmental elements.
He 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.
During the festival, Sheikh Sultan released a group of sea turtles on the beach of Sir Bu Nair Island. The festival includes a rich and diverse selection of activities, events, and programmes that are informative, educational, and entertaining.
The festival includes performances of the traditional band and various tournaments such as swimming, football, PlayStation, kayak competitions, traditional rowing, tug of war competition, Mazr Al-May" competition and Al-Dana search activity, culminating in the release of sea turtles back into their natural waters within the reserve.
Sir Bu Nair Island is an island located 110 kilometres from the city of Sharjah. The island is distinguished by its sandy beaches and clear waters, its surroundings are rich in coral and fish life, and its area is about 13 square kilometres. The island is of international importance; Where the name of the reserve was included in the International Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar), in order to preserve its environmental components rich in biodiversity, it was also 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.
The festival was attended by Major General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police; 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; and 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.