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Sharjah 24
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Sharjah 24
Sultan Al Qasimi attends opening of 3rd Sharjah Animation Conf.
This came in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, and Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority. The event, the first of its kind in the region, is organised by the Sharjah Book Authority and takes place from May 1 to 4 at the Expo Centre Sharjah. Extensive Programme and Global Participation During the opening, His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah was briefed on this year's conference agenda, which features a rich lineup of specialised events including 26 professional workshops, 21 interactive panel discussions, film screenings, and themed exhibitions. The conference hosts 72 speakers from among the world's top animation creators. His Highness also toured the conference halls and exhibitor booths, learning about the creative tools presented by participating entities from around the globe. Celebrating Arab Animation His Highness also viewed a short creative film produced by the Sharjah Book Authority. The film, presented in a visually rich and narratively innovative style, chronicled key milestones in the development of animation in the Arab world—from its early days in tents and marketplaces to modern productions that shaped generations, such as 'Bakkar,' 'Freej,' and 'Shaabiat Al Cartoon.' The film shed light on early Arab efforts in animation, prominent regional productions in the 20th century, and the role of dubbing in reintroducing global works through an Arab voice and identity. It also spotlighted the 'Spacetoon' experience, which marked a transformative moment in Arab children's media. The film concluded with an inspiring message affirming that Sharjah is paving the way for Arab content creators to produce visual works rooted in their culture and delivered to the world in the language of Arab creativity. Opening Remarks by Khoula Al Mujaini In her opening speech, Khoula Al Mujaini, Executive Director of the Conference, stated: 'We inaugurate the Sharjah Animation Conference, a comprehensive initiative launched by the Sharjah Book Authority under the patronage of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, and under the supervision and guidance of the Chairperson of the Authority, to empower content creation in the Arab world through new tools and innovative approaches.' Al Mujaini added that the conference embodies Sharjah's vision of establishing a sustainable environment for content creation, through an integrated year-round ecosystem designed to discover, develop, and connect talents with production and publishing platforms. It serves as a bridge between publishing and production, writers and illustrators, imagination and execution, and between the generation writing today and the one that will dream twenty years from now. She concluded by saying: 'It's time to tell our stories ourselves. The Arab world is brimming with exceptional talent that needs not creativity—but rather space, opportunity, and support. Today in Sharjah, we dream, plan, and work so that the world may one day watch world-class animated works with an Arab identity—rooted in our culture, speaking our language, touching the hearts of our children, and captivating global audiences.' 'du' CEO Highlights Investment in Culture and Creativity Fahad Al Hassawi, CEO of 'du,' the official sponsor of the conference, said: 'Our sponsorship of this conference stems from our deep belief in the importance of investing in culture and creativity as drivers of positive change and key enablers of the future economy. The Sharjah Animation Conference reflects our shared vision of empowering a new generation of creators, storytellers, and content makers who are shaping the digital landscape in our region.' He added: 'Creativity is one of the pillars of the digital transformation we aspire to in the UAE, in line with the vision of our wise leadership. Conferences and events like this offer emerging talent the opportunity to refine their skills and provide all the tools and space needed for creativity and meaningful contribution to a more connected and innovative future.' Celebrating Japanese Anime and Global Industry Icons This year, the conference celebrates the art of Japanese anime, which has influenced generations of animation lovers worldwide. It welcomes a distinguished lineup of Japanese creators, including Masayuki Miyaji and Tamiya Terashima, both of whom contributed to iconic Studio Ghibli productions such as Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. The event also features Tom Bancroft, CEO of Pencilish Animation Studios, Tony Bancroft, known for his work on Disney's Mulan and Aladdin, and Sandro Cleuzo, the character designer behind Anastasia, Tarzan, and Chip 'n Dale. A Platform for Global Trends and Creative Synergy Now in its third edition, the Sharjah Animation Conference is advancing its status as an international platform for exploring the latest trends in animation. This year's discussions include intersections between animation and artificial intelligence, visual storytelling, and adapting literary works into visual productions—affirming that animation today is a universal language where art, technology, and cultures converge.
Sharjah 24
07-03-2025
- Business
- Sharjah 24
Sultan bin Ahmed honours 'Tamayuz' awards winners
Categories and winners The University of Sharjah won the award for the best institution in governance implementation, while the Invest Bank secured the first place in the best financial oversight category. The Sharjah Media City "Shams" received the award for the best entity in secret shopper reports, and the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority won first place in the best smart application category for its "Maraya" application. Additionally, the Sharjah Government Media Bureau won the award for the best website for its "Sharjah Events" site according to secret shopper reports. The University of Sharjah also took home the award for the best contact center based on secret shopper reports, while Arada Company won the best service center award for its "City Walk Sales Center." The awards for best entity in customer happiness and best entity in employee happiness were awarded to Sharjah Media City "Shams." The best outstanding practices awards were granted to the "Create with Shams" initiative by Sharjah Media City "Shams," the "House for House" initiative by Arada, and the "Maraya Platform" by the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority. Recognition of evaluation teams His Highness also honoured the judging and evaluation teams, presenting them with commemorative shields and taking photos with them, commending their efforts during the previous period. Speech by Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi During the award ceremony, His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the "Tamayuz" Excellence Award, delivered a speech congratulating the winners of the first edition of the award. He expressed his happiness at the success of the first edition and noted that he felt the idea of the award was realised through the smiles and impressions of the attendees regarding the results. His Highness clarified that the award is not an end in itself but a means to achieve the previously stated goals, aiming to create a distinguished work system characterised by strategic agility, executive flexibility, and competitive capability through the collective efforts of all. He discussed the steps to achieve these goals through employee satisfaction and customer happiness, emphasising the need for best practices to be showcased to others, which creates a solid and transparent governance system. Future plans for the award His Highness, the Chairman of the "Tamayuz" Award, pointed out that there was a request to increase the number of categories for the next edition of the award and announce them. However, he preferred to postpone this until the results and contributions of the first edition could be studied in depth, considering the positives and negatives with the participation of the entities and incorporating their suggestions for the development and continuity of the award. He insisted that the selection of winners in all award categories should remain with the judges and that no new category for special recognition should be added, which he personally selects for entities with outstanding practices. This was to confirm the transparency, integrity, and fairness of the award, affirming that entities are capable of improving their performance and competing for the award categories. Closing remarks His Highness concluded his speech by noting that he was constantly informed about the positive competition among institutions and their commitment to attending workshops and training sessions. He praised several employees who attended additional special courses and workshops to gain more knowledge about governance and excellence, indicating that this reflects their strong commitment to development and improvement. He emphasised that competition was a motivation for development and innovation, and that excellence is a decision, not a choice. Insights from the Award Manager Hassan Yaqoub Al Mansoori, Director of the "Tamayuz" Excellence Award, delivered a speech at the beginning discussing the inception of the award. He noted that it had been on the desk of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, who wished to create a unified system or office responsible for governing all operations, applying it to all practices in the institutions under his leadership to enhance service quality. Al Mansoori explained that the team studied the idea and presented it as a comprehensive project developed by a team of experts and consultants from local talent, which His Highness approved for implementation in the institutions he heads. He remarked that the Chairman of the award envisioned it as a means to initiate improvement and development, serving as an incentive for institutions and teams. He recalled the launch of the award in October 2023 and the Chairman's remarks at the time, stating, "I am often asked what is the secret behind the excellence of the institutions I lead, and the answer is that these institutions excel because of the exceptional teams that have been carefully selected and given trust and support." He described these words as a great motivator for all. Team efforts and participation Al Mansoori addressed the efforts of the award's team, which prepared for the first cycle, which had a single main category since the original idea was based on governance in institutions. The team conducted benchmarking studies and developed the award guide leading to the launch of the electronic platform to facilitate participation, evaluation, and judging processes. He clarified that the judging committee members were experienced local personnel in the categories proposed in the first cycle of the award, such as governance and financial oversight. He confirmed that each entity would receive a detailed report on their participation aimed at transforming weaknesses into opportunities for growth and improvement, noting that future editions would witness participation from new entities led by His Highness, contributing to expanding the scope of participation and enhancing competitiveness. Al Mansoori concluded his speech by stating, "Allow me to title the last paragraph of my speech with the word 'enthusiasm.' The enthusiasm and interaction I witnessed on everyone's faces were clear and a great motivator for the award team to continue. The unparalleled enthusiasm from institutional leaders, teams, employee responsiveness, and the feedback from judges and evaluators who praised the response and interaction from the excellence teams was truly remarkable." Presentation of video material His Highness the Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and the attendees watched a visual presentation titled "Excellence is a Decision, a Renewed Vision, and an Ambition that Races Against Time," which addressed the goals of the award and highlighted its key figures and the participation of institutions along with the efforts of the teams that tirelessly strived to showcase the excellence of the participating entities. The award had conducted six training workshops attended by over 300 individuals, providing knowledge and establishing a path focused on continuous development, along with eight awareness publications that promoted a culture of excellence. A survey targeting customer happiness was participated in by over 55,000 customers, in addition to a survey for employees that included over 5,000 employees, and more than 530 evaluations for secret shoppers of service channels. The material also discussed the launch of the "Tamayuz" platform, which facilitates participants in submitting their files clearly and transparently, with over a thousand documents uploaded to the platform and 500 reports for secret shoppers, managed by eight excellence teams consisting of 33 members.
