Sharjah Light Festival, the first and largest of its kind in the Middle East, will run from Feb. 6 to 14 at 12 locations across the emirate. The organizers, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), announced this at a press conference on Monday night.

The festival will be celebrated under the theme of Sharjah, the Capital of Islamic Culture for 2014.  For nine nights, the event turns the spotlight on Sharjah’s landmarks and monuments, transforming their facades with a breathtaking interplay of lights, colors and artistic imagery that will celebrate the Islamic civilization, heritage and history of the emirate and the region. 

The performances will be held every night from 7p.m. to 11p.m. on weekdays and until midnight on weekends. Since its debut, the festival has been a grand success attracting tens of thousands of families and visitors year after year.    

Sharjah has been attracting a large number of visitors from different GCC countries including Saudi Arabia.  According to figures, over 192,000 tourists from Saudi Arabia have visited Sharjah during the first nine months of 2013.

This year, three new sites in Sharjah city have been added to the celebrations including King Faisal Mosque that is popularly known as Saudi Mosque.  The other two sites are Sheikh Sultan Al-Qasimi Centre of Gulf Studies and the new building of Sharjah Municipality, where the opening ceremony will be held.

The   festival is a landmark global event highlighting Emirati, Arabic and Islamic culture. The event features talented international artists and performers who use the magic of lighting and cutting-edge technology to narrate the story of Sharjah’s heritage and architecture. 

“For nine nights, Sharjah will wear a new robe of exquisite beauty decorated with the best of oriental art and colors, celebrating its Islamic civilization and the legacy of our ancestors,” Mohamed Ali Al-Noman, Chairman of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, said while addressing the media conference held at Al Majaz Waterfront in the presence of a number of senior government figures.

“During the festival, Sharjah’s popular landmarks and touristic sites will be seen in a new light with specially designed shows using latest techniques in lighting, graphics and 3-D technology.  It will be an experience that will take the spectators to a magical world of fantasy and creativity,” Al-Noman said.  

The festival highlights also include a spectacular hour-long parade that will start at the Flag Island and cover the expanse of Khalid Lagoon before leading to the Central Souq. It will be followed by another hour of an entertainment fiesta with popular fictional characters that will transport visitors to a world of art, fantasy and humor. 

“The aesthetic beauty of centuries-old Islamic calligraphy, poetry, maps and art and intricate decorated plants and flowers representing ancient Islamic art will be celebrated at the festival,” Al-Noman added.    

SLF 2014 sites include Sharjah Municipality, Kuwait Square, Cultural Palace Square, King Faisal Mosque, Al Majaz Mosque, Al Majaz Waterfront, Central Souk, Al-Qasba (Internal façade), Sheikh Sultan Al-Qasimi Centre of Gulf Studies, Hamza Bin Abdul Mottaleb Mosque in Kalba, and Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque in Khorfakkan.