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After 3 days of environmental awareness and introduction to heritage
Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee of the festival and HE Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, Chairperson of the Environment and Protected Areas Authority and Deputy Chairperson of the Higher Organising Committee, honoured Strategic partners, supporters, sponsors, and winners in the competitions of the 18th anniversary of Sir Bu Nair Festival, which was organized by EPAA under the theme “the Sea is our Life” for three days at Sir Bu Nair Nature Reserve. The activities of the festival ended on Saturday.
The events, activities and programmes of the festival have met with significant interaction and interest from the audience, visitors and environment lovers. They abounded with sporting, recreation and awareness of environment, which enhanced environmental culture in the minds of the public and was reflected in their conduct. Through its activities, the festival reflected the deep-rooted bonds between the sea and its people, as well as the activities and rituals of sailors, to reinforce the relations of the present generations with their environment and the heritage of their grandfathers.
Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee of the festival, said: “The Sir Bu Nair Festival, which is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, is of great importance to the Emirate of Sharjah and contributes to highlighting the emirate's rich heritage, charming nature and destinations worth visiting throughout the year as well as preserving its natural resources for future generations”.
He added: “The Festival aims to highlight the efforts made by the Emirate of Sharjah in conserving the cultural heritage and natural environment for future generations. In addition, the festival aims to promote the touristic and environmental importance of Sir Bu Nair Nature Reserve and to raise awareness among visitors of the island about the importance of adhering to ecosystem conservation regulations and encourages them to contribute to biodiversity conservation activities”.
HE Hana Saif Al Suwaidi said: “Sir Bu Nair Festival has achieved one success after another. This would not have been possible without the substantial support, ceaseless follow-up and permanent patronage by HH Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Federal Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. Also, thanks to the efforts, support and sponsorship of our strategic partners, we have achieved success, for they are our partners in the making of achievements.”
Al Suwaidi pointed out that the festival aims to highlight the efforts of the emirate of Sharjah to conserve and keep cultural and environmental heritage for the coming generations. They seek to emphasize the environmental, tourist, heritage and civilizational importance of Sir Bu Nair Nature Reserve, promote its tourist and recreational importance as well as the importance of environmental tourism. The festival also aims to disseminate awareness among the island visitors regarding the need for abidance by regulations on the conservation of ecosystems, and motivate them to help activate prudent activities to preserve biodiversity. The festival also reflects Sharjah’s eagerness to preserve natural and biological diversity and strengthen the links between successive generations and their environment and heritage, in accordance with the directives of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah. The activities of this year festival were sponsored by Tilal Real Estate Company.
Hana Al Suwaidi stated that the 18th anniversary of the festival - which targeted all community categories as is the case every year - has witnessed a huge number of heritage, environmental, awareness and recreational events, activities and programmes. Most notable of these activities were coral aquaculture and traditional diving, in collaboration with the Emirates Marine Environmental Group (EMEG).
In this year festival, coral aquaculture has aroused much interest, since it restores balance to marine environment, provides a sustainable marine environment and helps to maintain natural environment. In general, through coral aquaculture, some natural coral fragments are being collected to be cultivated in cages so that they should grow and multiply later. Cages are incubating stations of coral reefs. They are also highly useful, since they alleviate the negative effects of pollutions, and play a significant role in environmental tourism and research that concentrates on the study of the types of coral and its surrounding life.
The visitors and attendees of the festival enjoyed the diverse activities since Day One. The activities, proceedings and programmes met with vital interaction, as was the case with the old fishing and diving competition that was organized in collaboration with the Sharjah International Marine Sports Club. The same is true for the row boat race in collaboration with the Sharjah International Marine Sports Club, in addition to the release of marine green turtles, the heritage shows, popular meals, display of the gems of sea in the Pearl Show, which was organized in cooperation with Al Fardan Group, and also the documentary film titled “the Sound of the Sea”, which impressed viewers.
The heritage activities in the festival highlighted the richness and diversity of our marine heritage and national identity. The festival is a heritage event which is one of the most important community events in the Emirate of Sharjah in particular, and the UAE in general. Thanks to the wise vision and prudent directives of HH Ruler of Sharjah, Sharjah has been, and still is, proactive in celebrating its heritage and cultural legacy, and protecting its environment and natural resources, as an inherited treasure and a guarantee of the future of the coming generations in a life that preserves for them their glorious past and bright present.
The Chairman of EPAA expressed her thanks and appreciation to the Higher Committee of Sir Bu Nair Festival for their efforts. She also thanked the participating agencies in the festival, especially the General Command of Sharjah Police, Sharjah Institute for Heritage (SIH), Sharjah Media Corporation, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), Sharjah Environment Company LLC (Bee'ah), Sharjah Media Centre, Sharjah Sports Council, the Emirates Marine Environmental Group (EMEG), Sharjah International Marine Sports Club and Khan Sahib Company.
Sir Bu Nair Island is located in the south of the Arabian Gulf. Its overall area is 49.6 square kilometres, with a land area of 13.3 square kilometres. It is an environmental, historical and civilizational wealth. It was announced as a protected area by virtue of the Amiri Decree No. 25 of 2000, issued by His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. The island is characterized by different geological formations, such as mountains, sand beaches, rock hills, mud surface and a variety of minerals. Its ecosystem is characterized by a dense presence of sea turtle nests, endemic and migratory birds that live in the form of colonies, along with other species such as deer and lizard. It is one of the key nesting sites for Hawksbill turtles and green turtles. Sir Bu Nair was listed in the Unesco World Heritage Tentative List in 2012 in recognition of its environmental and cultural importance as the first natural site in the UAE.
© Press Release 2017
