Sharjah24: The Supreme Committee for the Sir Bu Nair Festival, chaired by Her Excellency Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, Chairperson of the Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA), and with the participation of its members, held its first meeting for the year 2024. The meeting included discussions on a number of important topics and themes related to the committee's plans and activities during the current year and reviewed the preparations and readiness for organizing the twenty-fourth edition of the Sir Bu Nair Festival.

The convening of the first meeting of the committee came in execution of the recent decision by the Executive Council of the Emirate of Sharjah regarding the reformation of the Supreme Committee for the Sir Bu Nair Festival, which follows the Environment and Protected Areas Authority and operates under its supervision.

The meeting was attended by His Excellency Hassan Yacoub Al Mansouri, Secretary General of the Sharjah Media Council, Vice Chairman of the Committee, and all members including HE Khalid Jassim Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority; HE Salem Al Ghaithi, Director of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority (SBA); HE Ahmed Al Hosani, Director General of the Sharjah International Marine Sports Club; and Colonel Mohammed Al Hindasi, acting on behalf of Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police, as well as other attendees from the EPAA, the General Command of Sharjah Police, and from the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority.

Administrative, Financial, and Legislative Support

At the beginning of the meeting held at the headquarters of the EPAA, HE Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, Chairperson of the EPAA and Chair of the Committee, welcomed the attendees, expressing her great pride in the decision of the Executive Council regarding the establishment and formation of the Committee. This reflects the Sharjah government's interest in enhancing institutional efforts to preserve the environment, protect its biodiversity, safeguard wildlife, and sustain the natural reserves hosted by Sharjah.

Her Excellency Hana Saif Al Suwaidi expressed her high confidence in the committee members and their continued vital role in achieving environmental goals through a series of activities, competitions, and exhibitions that the festival will include in its current edition.

Enhancing the festival's success through specialized responsibilities

The agenda of the meeting discussed the responsibilities of the supreme committee for the Sir Bu Nair Festival and the various legal items that regulate their work, pursuant to the issued decision. This includes preparing the plan and media campaign for the Sir Bu Nair Festival, proposing the launch of initiatives, reviewing the schedule of targeted events during the festival, preparing the special timeline for their implementation, and presenting developmental ideas and suggestions.

The meeting also reviewed the decision to form the committee and its responsibilities, the duration of membership, as well as the recommendations of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Sharjah; it discussed the preparedness of all cooperating entities to provide full support to the festival through logistics or activity support, and the establishment of new committees in the festival. The festival is considered one of the distinctive festivals in the Emirate of Sharjah and supports environmental tourism. Hessa Al Shamsi, Head of Communication Department and Community Service at the Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah, was appointed as the committee rapporteur.

It is worth mentioning that Sir Bu Nair Island is an island located 110 kilometers from the city of Sharjah. The island is distinguished by its sandy beaches and clear waters, and its surroundings are rich in coral and fish life, and its area is about 13 square kilometers.

The island is of international importance; Where the name of the reserve was included in the International Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar), in order to preserve its environmental components rich in biodiversity, it was also included in the UNESCO preliminary list of World Heritage Sites, and its acceptance in a memorandum of understanding on the protection and management of sea turtles and their habitats in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia.