SHARJAH, 19th March, 2019 (WAM) — H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, witnessed Tuesday evening the opening of the 29th Sharjah Theatre Days at the Sharjah Culture Palace, in the presence of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah.
During the opening ceremony, H.H. honoured the renowned Kuwaiti artist Mohammed Al Mansour on his winning the Sharjah Award for Creative Arab Theatre, and Emirati artist Dr. Habib Ghloum on winning the Local Personality Award.
The ruler of Sharjah also honoured the “Al Tawq wal Eswirah” play, winner of the Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi Award for Best Arab Theatrical Performance for the year 2018. The award was received by Nasser Abdel Mon’em, director of the play.
H.H. and the audience watched a film which displayed the most prominent stations of the artistic career of the two honourees.
The Sharjah Theatre Days’ shows will continue to run daily until the closing ceremony on March 27, with shows displayed at the Culture Palace and the Sharjah Institute of Theatrical Arts.
The opening ceremony was attended by Sheikh Khalid bin Issam Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Civil Aviation; Sheikh Salem bin Abdulrahman Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Ruler’s Office; Sheikh Mohammed bin Humaid Al Qasimi, Director of Sharjah Department of Statistics and Community Development; and Sheikha Nawar Al Qasimi, Director of Development at Sharjah Art Foundation.
Also present at the ceremony were Salem Ali Al Muhairi, Chairman of Sharjah Municipal Council; Major General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police; Dr. Enas Abdel Dayem, Egyptian Minister of Culture; Abdullah Mohammed Al Owais, Chairman of the Department of Culture; Khalid Jassim Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA); Ali Salem Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah International Airport Authority; Mohammed Obaid Al Zaabi, Head of Protocol and Hospitality Department; Salem Yousif Al Qaseer, Chairman of the Sharjah Labour Standards Development Authority; Ahmed Bu Rahima, Director of the theatre section of the Culture Department, local department heads, a galaxy of artists, playwrights, media representatives and guests of the Sharjah Theatre Days from different Arab countries.
Launched in 1984, this annual event brings together local and Arabic theatre groups to compete for the Sharjah Award for Arab Theatrical Creativity.
The Sharjah Theatre Days welcomes as well theatrical experts from various Arab and international countries to attend the performances and participate in practical and intellectual seminars, conferences, and open discussions. The festival also hosts an international performance to strengthen the communication between Arabic and international theatre.
