MEDIA

HH Sheikh Sultan Al Qasimi inaugurates Al Noor Island in Sharjah

Shurooq launches first leisure destination combining nature and art on an area of 45,000 square metres

His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated Al Noor Island, a unique destination in the emirate of Sharjah, on Tuesday in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, and Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq).

The opening ceremony was attended by HE Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) as well as a number of high-profile invitees and Sharjah officials.

The 45,470 square metre island, located in Khalid Lagoon next to Al Noor Mosque, has been developed by Shurooq to be a state-of-the-art cultural and leisure destination that engages people with nature and stimulates Sharjah’s fast growing tourism sector. Al Noor Island is part of a series of world-class destinations created by Shurooq with the aim to stimulate Sharjah’s vibrant tourism sector, increase tourist arrivals and contribute to Sharjah’s tourism vision, announced by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) to boost the tourism sector in the emirate, with a plan to attract 10 million visitors by 2021.

The island, which reflects the art styles of world renowned designer, André Heller, consists of a uniquely-designed, covered and streamlined structure inspired by butterflies’ natural environment, a pedestrian bridge that will serve as an entrance to the island, a Literature Pavilion, a children’s playground, an egg-shaped OVO Art Sculpture and unique, exclusively commissioned art sculptures from the pieces of world’s renowned artists. The OVO sculpture combines three elements: wood, LED lighting and water vapour, and is characterised by its multisensory installation, where visitors can move through a light reflective water pool to reach the two entrances of the sculpture and enjoy the scenography and sound. The sculpture is built on a 12×8 metre panel, is 7 metres high, and has a 200 metre water pool that is 5 ml in depth.

Children can climb the trees and feel as though they are in a primeval forest in the children’s playground. The ground is partially covered with sand and grass, and integrated lights cover all parts of the playground.

The island was designed by the famous multimedia artist and designer Andre Heller, the genius behind many famous landmarks around the world such as Swarovski Crystal Worlds in Wattens, Austria and who was commissioned to design green spaces and landscaping in the gardens of Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna. It is designed to allow visitors to discover natural life across a spacious area covered by lighting and vegetation, operating with innovative technology.

Speaking on the occasion, Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi said: “The inauguration of Al Noor Island was an exciting milestone event for Shurooq, representing the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammed Al Qasimi to create unique destinations in the emirate that highlight the emirate’s aesthetic and artistic values and cutting-edge architecture. The successful completion of this project positively illustrates our continued commitment to developing the emirate, both culturally and economically.”