November 9, 2021/ Socotra Online
Reporting and Photography: Ibrahim Youssef – Muhammad bin Muhaimid – Said Bu Wazir
The launch of the Sultan Ali bin Essa bin Afrar Heritage Festival, with the support of the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation and in coordination with the office of the Ministry of Culture in the governorate, made a great positive impression on the official and societal levels, as well as visitors who were amazed at the diversity of the island’s historical heritage.
The festival, whose management was keen to accommodate all the heritage participation in the governorate, presented several activities that won the admiration of the followers, those interested and researchers in the authentic Socotra heritage.
Socotra Online was present at the festival and monitored the words and impressions of the official leaders, citizens and visitors to the festival. The beginning was with the first representative of Socotra Governorate, Raed Al-Juraibi, in which he stressed the importance of the festival, which contains a huge amount of cultural heritage that has characterized the island since ancient times.
He pointed out that the festival allows everyone to participate and benefit from the works and events it organizes and helps document this heritage and introduce the new generation to Socotri customs and the lifestyle of their ancestors during the past centuries.
Al-Juraibi valued the support of the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation for the island in various service, vital and entertainment fields, including today the Sultan Ali bin Essa bin Afrar Cultural Heritage Festival, which embodies the history and heritage of the Socotri man.
For his part, the head of the local leadership of the Southern Transitional Council of Socotra, Engineer Raafat Al-Thaqali, expressed his happiness to attend the opening of the Sultan Ali Issa bin Afrar Heritage Festival, which includes several programs, including the Socotra Poet for Children competition, which has an effective impact on preserving the Socotri language and poetry and encourages children to pay attention to this aspect.
Al-Thaqali praised the support of the United Arab Emirates, a state of benevolence and humanity that refuses but to write an epic and developmental, cultural and heritage positions for the people of Socotra.
Sultan Ali Essa bin Afrar, Chairman of the Development Committee, praised the efforts of the United Arab Emirates in reviving the heritage of Socotra and preserving it through heritage festivals that are organized under its sponsorship.
He pointed out that this festival, with the solidarity of all, will achieve many goals related to documenting the diverse Socotra heritage and showing everything related to the customs and traditions of Socotra that extend for long ages and immortalize them for future generations. He added to the importance of uniting efforts alongside the brothers in the UAE to achieve renaissance and development at various levels.
Director General of the Ministry of Culture Office Omar Qabalan said that it is a pleasure to inaugurate the Sultan Ali bin Essa bin Afrar Heritage and Cultural Festival, which contributes greatly to preserving our heritage, customs and traditions.
Bin Qabalan extended his thanks and gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for standing by the Culture Office in the governorate and for providing opportunities for the people of Socotra in foreign participations in the United Arab Emirates more than once in the cultural and heritage aspects, and thus showing the distinctive and distinctive characteristics of Socotra’s heritage and natural to the outside world.
The Director General of the Governorate Police, Brigadier General Ali Muhammad Al-Dexami, indicated that the organization of the Sultan Ali bin Afrar Festival is very important in preserving the cultural heritage of the island. long time.
Brigadier General Al-Dexami valued the support and revival of the cultural heritage of the people of Socotra by the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, which will remain immortal positions for the people of Socotra throughout history, in addition to its development and service efforts.
The visitor, Amani Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, from the Arab Republic of Egypt, said that she is happy to attend the Sultan Ali Bin Essa Bin Afrar Festival and learn about the Socotra heritage through the creative paragraphs and performances presented at the festival. She added that she was fascinated by the content she witnessed regarding the ancient Socotra customs and traditions, which the people of Socotra have the right to be proud of, and to show to the world as an expression of their civilization and the ethnicity of their history.
He called on the people of Socotra to preserve their heritage and educate their generations in it, as it is a beautiful and distinctive legacy.
The supervisor of the agricultural pavilion participating in the festival, Engineer Muhammad Alwan, said that the pavilion displays agricultural and animal products and what distinguishes the island in the agricultural sector as it is a virgin land and treasure that must be worked on and harnessed in its agricultural components in a better way to achieve self-sufficiency in vegetables and fruits.
Eng. Alwan presented to the visitors the Foundation’s efforts in the agricultural sector and the interest it provided in this aspect and encouraged farmers to engage in agriculture to secure healthy food for their families.
