Tourism & Hospitality | Sunday 4 December, 2016 10:40 am |

The Flag Island was the setting for ‘The Story of the Nation,’ an operetta featuring Emirati superstar Hussein Al Jasmi. The patriotic performance rang out across Sharjah’s iconic destination on the National Day.

 

Al Jasmi was accompanied by artists Fayez Al Saeed and Jassim Mohammed, who highlighted the sacrifices of the Founding Fathers of the nation and its current leaders who have made the UAE the country it is today. The operetta chronicled the creation of the UAE, its glorious rise, its outstanding present and its promising future under the wise leadership.

 

Featuring seven musical performances written by renowned Emirati poets Rashid Sharar and Nasser Al Shanfari, the recital celebrated the 45 years since the establishment of the Union, reflecting the citizens’ great love for their nation and the sacrifices made for it to remain an oasis of safety, security and prosperity.

 

The musical saw the attendance of a large number of senior officials, as well as many community and media personalities. Students also participated in several aspects of the show, contributing significantly to its success.

 

The enthusiastic audience at the Flag Island enjoyed the seven performances of the operetta, with its first act titled ‘The Authentic Past,’ which featured theatrical scenes and folk shows that highlighted the country’s lifestyle in the past, its quality of education and health and how Emirati citizens managed to challenge the harsh desert with their patience and faith to unify the nation.

 

A group of female students participated in the second act, ‘The Story of the Nation,’ from which the operetta’s main title was derived. Signifying how each emirate contributed to the realisation of the dream of national unity, this act highlighted the exceptional qualities presented by the UAE to the world through its unity and its keenness on building a strong future for its citizens.

 

Titled ‘We Sacrifice Our Lives for Our Country,’ the third act depicted the heroism of the Emirati martyrs who have given their lives for the nation's dignity and glory, while the fourth act ‘Nothing but the Nation’ exemplified the great love the Emiratis have for their country and depicted how its citizens are united and act as one body to safeguard their nation.

The fifth act in the operetta was dedicated to the UAE’s exceptional rulers who devote their lives to ensuring the wellbeing and happiness of their people, inspiring them to be innovative and be creative and providing them with education and healthcare. It highlighted the ambitious and forward-thinking leaders who plan diligently for the future so that the UAE remains strong and ranked highly in all domains.

Titled ‘Sheikh of Humanity,’ the sixth act focused on the achievements of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, who established the ‘Smiling Emirate’ as a beacon of science and culture and focused on knowledge as a key to human development. It paid tribute to His Highness’s commitment to children and young adults through his contribution to establishing youth centres and universities. Local and global humanitarian initiatives by Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, were also showcased in this act, which honoured her great attention to children, girls and women, as well as her care for refugees, patients and vulnerable people and her support for global humanitarian work.

 

The operetta culminated in its seventh and last musical performance, ‘The Nation of Flags,’ in which artists and a large number of students from Sharjah Educational Zone schools gathered on the stage, raising the UAE flag and thanking Allah for the numerous triumphs and achievements enjoyed by the UAE in the four-and-a-half decades since its inception.