SHARJAH: The 11th edition of the Dibba Al Hisn Al Maleh and Fishing Festival, organised by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Dibba Al Hisn Municipal Council and Dibba Al Hisn Municipality, kicked off on Thursday.

The festival’s activities will continue for four consecutive days in the city of Dibba Al Hisn, with distinguished participation from ministries, government and private institutions, productive families and a number of shops specialising in selling Al Maleh products.

The festival was inaugurated by Sultan Abdullah Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), who toured the festival’s halls accompanied by Mubarak Al Nakhi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Ahmed bin Yarouf Al Naqbi, Chairman of the Municipal Council of Dibba Al Hisn, and Talib Abdullah Al Yahyaei, Director of Dibba Al Hisn Municipality.

The opening of the festival witnessed various heritage segments and the recitation of a group of poems inspired by Emirati folklore and heri
tage, as part of the festival’s objectives of preserving the popular heritage, promoting traditional activities and local products, and teaching children the profession of their fathers and grandfathers, as Al Maleh is considered one of the oldest products known to the people of the UAE to secure their needs and food stock throughout the year.

Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), stressed the importance of the festival and its significant contribution to stimulating the economic, commercial and tourism movement in the Eastern Region of the Emirate of Sharjah, as it has become an annual gathering to celebrate Al Maleh, which represents an authentic aspect of the ancient Emirati heritage, famous for its food and traditional and popular crafts.

He pointed out that the festival has become one of the most important initiatives aimed at preserving the UAE’s rich folk heritage and introducing generations to the authentic past of the ancestors, along with the ec
onomic importance of the festival in terms of contributing to ensuring the sustainability of the fishing profession, and increasing interest in fish resources and preserving fish resources as a major component of the food security system in the country, in addition to the economic value of this profession that contributes to enhancing the gross domestic product and creating job opportunities. Hence, the SCCI, Dibba Al Hisn Municipality and Dibba Al Hisn Municipal Council are keen to make every possible effort to enhance, develop and advance the festival and enable it to achieve its goals.

For his part, Talib Abdullah Al Yahyaei, Director of Dibba Al Hisn Municipality, praised the large, distinguished and qualitative attendance that accompanied the launch of the festival’s activities, and the large public turnout from different parts of the UAE and the Arabian Gulf region, stressing that the Dibba Al Hisn Al Maleh and Fishing Festival has become a notable cultural, civilisational and economic landmark that a
large number of institutions, shops and families specialised in Al Maleh from different parts of the country and the region are keen to participate in its activities, which confirms the great development witnessed by the festival year after year.

Al Yahyaei thanked the strategic partners of the municipality, headed by the SCCI and all the governmental and private entities that supported the festival and played an effective role in making it stand out in the distinguished way it did.

The Director of Dibba Al Hisn Municipality also pointed out that the festival will offer the public a variety of events, folk arts, traditional and marine songs, and a number of training courses on the basics of Al Maleh production, salting and canning, and the fishing methods that the ancestors used and taught to their grandchildren throughout the ages.

During the first day of the festival, the participating government entities and shops were honoured in appreciation of their efforts during their participation in the activitie
s of the new edition of the festival.

The festival opens its doors to visitors daily, from 9 am to 9 pm, until September 1, to enjoy its many activities, as it includes a number of distinctive corners and pavilions, in addition to displays of traditional handicrafts and other heritage activities that attract different age groups and dozens of diverse platforms that highlight the UAE’s maritime heritage.

Source: Emirates News Agency