Culture and heritage are central to promoting Sharjah as a global tourism destination and the policy reflects itself in the Sharjah Heritage Days festival and all events and activities hosted by the emirate. This came in remarks made by HE Mohamed Ali Al Noman, Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority at the opening of the Sharjah Heritage Days festival today (Wednesday).

The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority has once again joined hands with the Directorate of Heritage of the Department of Culture and Information to sponsor the popular heritage festival, being held from April 3 to 20, and promote the cultural identity and heritage of the emirate and the UAE.The Sharjah Heritage Days this yearis being held under the theme,Folkloric Knowledge is the Foundation of Heritage, and will celebrate the national heritage, culture, traditions, lifestyle, cuisine and a lot more.

SCTDA is keen on sponsoring this event, believes in the importance of these events to promote a cultural and distinctive heritage of the Emirate Chairman Al Noman said that even as the emirate has taken huge progressive strides on all fronts, it remains true to its cultural roots, traditions and heritage. “This is the USP and most distinguishing feature of the emirate. This is why the UNESCO designated Sharjah as the Cultural Capital of the Arab and Islamic world in 1998. And this is why it has recently been chosen as the Capital of Arab Tourism by Arab nations,” emphasised Al Noman.

The SCTDA Chairman said that in accordance with the vision of the emirate’s leadership, Sharjah’s tourism policy has been consistently inspired and guided by the Emirati and Arab cultural heritage and legacy. “This unique cultural approach to tourism manifests itself in all our festivals, events and activities. More important, this approach in presenting Sharjah as a complete family tourism destination with rich values, culture and tradition has been successful in increasingly attracting international visitors,” asserted Al Noman. He said that it’s because of this policy that the Authority has been actively supporting the Sharjah Heritage Days for the past 11 years.

Al Noman added, "The patronage given by His Highness DrSheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, for Sharjah Heritage Days and other events and cultural programmes have turned Sharjah into a bridge between the past and the present and the centre-stage of the cultural, intellectual, literary and lifestyle currents and movements in the country.”

The Heritage Area in old Sharjah is the perfect place to be during the 18 days of the Sharjah Heritage Days where heritage and history come to life. Besides Sharjah Heritage Days, the SCTDA supports a number of events heldin the emirate throughout the year that help and contribute to the promotion of Sharjah as a brand and as a complete family and heritage tourism destination like Sharjah Water festival and Sharjah Light festival.