Fourth – year participation aims at attracting global tourists to Sharjah’s leading tourist destination

Sharjah, March 10, 2010: Al Qasba, the premiere tourist, cultural and entertainment destination in the emirate of Sharjah has announced its participation in ITB Berlin 2010, the largest global tourism and travel exhibition, for the fourth consecutive year. Al Qasba officials have revealed that the objective of the participation will be to introduce the many attractions that Al Qasba and the Emirate of Sharjah offer and to draw more visitors to the picturesque destination.

Representatives of Al Qasba will be educating trade visitors and general public about the new offerings in Hall 21A. Running from March 10-14 at the Messe Berlin exhibition centre, ITB Berlin is expected to showcase the world’s hottest destinations with the participation of over 11,000 exhibitors from around the globe.

Commenting on the participation, Hazem Sawaf, Sales and Marketing Director of the Al Qasba Development Authority said, “Al Qasba has positioned itself as the premier cultural, entertainment and tourism destination of the region in a very short span of time thanks to a combination of dynamics of effort by a great workforce and a truly delightful location.  Our previous participations at ITB Berlin as well as other travel and tourism sector exhibitions have proved that such participation indeed educates visitors not just about Al Qasba, but the UAE and the emirate of Sharjah as well.”

“We are looking forward for our fourth consecutive participation in one of the world’s top exhibitions and we are eager to talk directly to our target audiences including tour operators, residents and tourists from various nationalities and age groups,” added Sawaf.

Positioned as a popular destination in Sharjah, Al Qasba offers a unique mix of high quality dining, entertainment, cultural events and lucrative business opportunities. Furthermore, Al Qasba houses the ‘Etisalat -Eye of the Emirates’, a giant Ferris wheel offering 360 degree aerial views of the Buheira cornice, lagoons and landscape. Al Qasba will celebrate this year the fifth year anniversary of the 60 meters high wheel in April.

“We have what it takes to be a leading tourist and entertainment destination in the world, our visitors can enjoy the best of dining, fun experiences and a wide variety of year-round events. We have witnessed an amazing visitors’ turnout in 2009 and our plans in 2010 will be to drive the figures higher,” concluded Sawaf.

Providing a unique mix of high quality dining, entertainment, cultural events and lucrative business opportunities, Al Qasba aspires to become a major tourist attraction destination on the regional and global scales, and strives to offer a combination of leisure and business through high quality events and services.

Sharjah, March 8th, 2010- “Share the Light” walk, an initiative organized by Al Qasba, gathered over 800 participants who came together from all over UAE to walk for the aid of Palestinian children. The walk was held in cooperation with the Palestinian Children Relief Fund (PCRF), UAE Red Crescent, and Higher Colleges of Technology in Sharjah. 

Arrival and onsite registration began at 5:00pm and ended at the Al Maghreb prayer at sunset.  Participants of the walkathon cross the Al Qasba Bridge, the Al Qasba Marina, and circled back to the main Al Qasba complex.  The walk, that shined with illuminated LED – red colored- balloons, included many activities such as earth management workshop, activities included cookies and flowers arrangement workshop, jewelleries making workshop, face painting, and on-stage activities later in the evening.

Event expected to attract over 1000 participants as numerous activities are planned throughout the evening at Al Qasba

Sharjah, February 24th, 2010- Al Qasba—the premiere tourist, cultural and entertainment destination in the emirate of Sharjah—announces the establishment of the first ever “Share the Light” walk, which will be hosted on Friday, March 5th, sponsored by Nestle Dubai LLC and in cooperation with the Palestinian Children Relief Fund (PCRF), UAE Red Crescent, and Higher Colleges of Technology in Sharjah.  The event will take place from 5:00pm onwards and welcomes people of all age groups to express their support for Palestine in a community walk that will circle Sharjah’s waterfront walkways as the sun sets on the Al Qasba complex.  All fees and donations will go directly to aid charities. 

“We are very blessed here in the UAE, and by coming together as a community to share our experiences, we will be able to honour and support the Children of Palestine,” says Zainab Ahmed, Corporate Social Responsibilities Coordinator at Al Qasba.  With a variety of activities geared towards the whole family, the Al Qasba team says they are expecting over 1000 participants to attend the walkathon.

Arrival and onsite registration will begin at 5:00pm till the Al Maghreb prayer at sunset.  Participants of the walkathon will cross the Al Qasba Bridge, the Al Qasba Marina, and circle back to the main Al Qasba complex.  Along the way, illuminated LED – red colored- balloons will guide the ‘Share the Light’ walk; one of Palestinian national colours and a symbol for love and aid.  The theme of reconstruction will be emphasized throughout the evening’s workshops and activities.  In addition to an earth management workshop, activities will include cookies and flowers arrangement workshop, jewelleries making workshop, face painting, and on-stage activities later in the evening.

The funds collected will go the children of Palestine through the UAE Red Crescent and PCRF, which is a non-political, non-profit organization established in 1991 to address the medical and humanitarian crisis facing Palestinian youths in the Middle East.

“This is an opportunity for us to partner once again with these aid organizations by hosting the ‘Share the Light’ walkathon, and we are all very excited to see the public’s reaction,” adds Zainab Ahmed. 

Registration is open for adults and kids above the age of twelve. Participants will receive the official ‘Share the Light’ walkathon t-shirt upon registration.  Although individuals can register on the day of the walk, pre-registration kiosks will be set up around Al Qasba, University City in Sharjah and the American University of Sharjah along with other distribution locations.

In cooperation with Sharjah museum authorities, hundreds gather to view timeless models from the 20’s and 30’s including Ford and Buick models 

Sharjah, February 9, 2010- Visitors can take a step back in time this week as Al Qasba—the premiere tourist, cultural and entertainment destination in the emirate of Sharjah—enters the final days of its Classic Car Show exhibition featuring rare automobiles from around the world.  The event—which is being held at the complex’s Block A walkways—is free to public audiences of all ages. 

Held in coordination with the Classic Cars Museum in Sharjah, the exhibit features cars from a variety of international companies, specifically models from the 1920’s and 1930’s era.  This was the first period in history with a real boom in commercial car sales and rapid advancements of the industrial mechanics.  The historic automobiles featured this week include 1928 Buicks, Ford 1928 and 1930 Model A cars, 1928 Chryslers and 1930 Plymouths. 

Chatting with car enthusiasts at the exhibition, the Chairman of Sharjah’s Classic Cars Museum Mr. Ahmed Al Jarwan has expressed his own enthusiasm for hosting the public event at Al Qasba.  “Displaying the museum’s priceless treasures is always a very rewarding experience, and by taking the show to new public audiences, we hope to inspire the modern generation of car enthusiasts to learn about the historical impact that this industry has played in global society,” comments Al Jarwan.   

Dina Al Nakhi, Events Manager at Al Qasba, also believes that automobiles are a great way to connect people of all ages through a passion for innovation and design.  “The exhibition is one of many important cultural events that we aim to introduce in 2010, offering a unique value to audiences with a particular interest or hobby,” says Al Nakhi.  Huge audiences have already attended the two-week event, which this year was held from January 28th – February 11th.

Other upcoming events at Al Qasba include special activities surrounding Earth Hour Day, the “Share the Light” walkathon for Palestine, and a huge sporting exhibition to be held during the FIFA World Cup this summer.

Local artists, musicians and non-profit organizations come together to celebrate the rich history and heritage of the UAE

As the public prepares for huge ceremonies in honour of the 38th UAE National Day, Al Qasba—the premiere tourist, Read the full story

Artists from across the UAE asked to help paint ‘Love and Peace’

Al Qasba, the premium tourist, cultural and entertainment destination in the Emirate of Sharjah and the UAE, has announced that it will be showcasing the world’s longest painting on November 4th and 5th. The painting, which is entitled ‘Love and Peace,’ currently measures 250m x 1m. The painting is the visionary work of Abdul Azim Mohammad Al Damen, a Saudi artist whose aim is to create a masterpiece that captures the essence of love and peace.

Commenting on the event, Al Damen said,” Love and Peace is what we need in this world, and as the painting continues its journey, we selected UAE’s cultural capital as the ideal location to spread the message of ‘Love and Peace’. I am looking forward for the participation of the artists and visitors of Sharjah and would like to thank Al Qasba for its warm welcoming.”

In order to effectively capture the qualities in this painting, select artists from around the world have been invited to contribute to the project. Prior to its arrival in the UAE, the painting was in the following countries; KSA, London, Qatar, Tunisia and Kuwait, where local artists and select individuals painted their contributions.

“We are glad to welcome Abdul Azim Mohammad Al Damen to Al Qasba. His work is truly inspirational and clearly reflects not only his artistic ability but his commitment to using art as a means to promote peace and love,” said Dina Al Nakhi, Events Manager at Al Qasba. Having the longest painting in the world within Al Qasba will be a major attraction for visitors and an amazing experience for them to enjoy and participate in.

Most recently, Al Qasba has organized the ‘Cosmos Mosaic’, a series of ‘Arabic Calligraphy’ and ‘Arts of Illumination’ demonstrations, as part of ‘Ramadaniat Al Qasba 2009’. The event was organized in collaboration with Sharjah Department of Culture and Information, with the participation of two of the UAE’s renowned calligraphers; Musab Shamil Ahmed Al Douri and Mohammed Al Nouri.

-END-

About Al Qasba Development Authority

Al Qasba Development Authority was established as per the directives of His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to oversee the development of Al Qasba, into an impressive entertainment, leisure and cultural hub of the Middle East. Chaired by H.E Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qassimi, the Authority seeks to reinforce the Emirate position as the cultural capital of the region and promote the flow of learning and information within specific disciplines. On March 2008, Qanat Al Qasba was re-branded as Al Qasba.

For further information, please contact

Maan Dalghan

O2 Public Relations

Tel: 050 4735351

Email: maan.d@O2pr.net

Event to take place on October 10th selling luxury used items from across the UAE

Al Qasba Development Authority has announced the organizing of “Luxury Flea Market”, a concept based on buying and selling original used luxury brands with aims to conserve the environment through giving a new life to the items rather than throwing them. The event, which will take place on October 10th, is in partnership with Greenspot Entertainment, Read the full story

Sharjah’s sky to lighten up with Eid Al Fitr celebrations on Monday night

Al Qasba, the premiere tourist, cultural and entertainment destination in the emirate of Sharjah, announced the successful conclusion of ‘Ramadaniat Al Qasba 2009’, Read the full story

This time last year, nobody would have predicted that the world would soon be rocked by a global financial crisis. As businesses go over the sales figures, records for the past year, many have unfortunately seen huge slumps and or closure in some instances. For Al Qasba however, their figures are relatively good. Having recently revealed the fact that they have seen a steady influx of tourists despite predictions it would be a slow summer, it seems that Al Qasba had a pretty lucky escape. Whilst last year, between January and July 2008 Al Qasba attracted 64,404 visitors, this year the figures were practically the same, albeit four more visitors.  Although it could be said that Al Qasba were just lucky as they saw a great deal of tourists from neighbouring countries, namely Oman, KSA and Qatar, the other side of the story suggests that it was the result of their hard work and aggressive marketing that made their ‘Big House of Fun’ a huge success this year. Other activities and attractions that have  proved popular and a have become a key aspect in Al Qasba’s ongoing success as the main tourist destination in Sharjah include; the Abras, range of restaurants, Eye of the Emirates Ferris Wheel, The Fountain, The Kids area, walkway and regular events. Established by His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, Al Qasba has evolved into a complete destination with a mission to establish a strong tourist destination in an emirate already known for its cultural diversity, liveliness and vibrancy. It has become a place where visitors can just relax and enjoy the peace and quiet and tranquility that Al Qasba is so famous for.
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Demonstrations hosted by Musab Al Douri and Mohammed Al Nouri highlight ‘Arabic Calligraphy’ and ‘Arts of Illumination’

As part of ‘Ramadaniat Al Qasba 2009’, Al Qasba, the premium tourist, cultural and entertainment destination in the Emirate of Sharjah and the UAE, Read the full story