ABU DHABI // The growing popularity of the annual Abu Dhabi Science Festival (ADSF) has compelled its expansion to three cities across the UAE, organisers said on Sunday.
The programming has also been shaken up for the fourth holding of the festival, which runs from November 13 to 22. Sixty per cent of the workshops and activities will be new. Of these, 20 activities are locally inspired and offered by UAE-based partners.
“We’ve been operating on the Corniche on a small scale but this is going to be big,” said Simon Gage, the director of the Edinburgh International Science Festival, a content partner for ADSF.
Unlike previous years, when the festival was held in several locations across the capital, this year all activities, workshops and stage presentations will take place along the Corniche, as well as at sites in Sharjah and Al Ain.
“I look forward very much to seeing what will happen on the Corniche this year,” said Dr Gage. “It will be a festival village like none other. I don’t think anyone has built a festival like this on the beach before and dedicated it to science and technology. It says a lot about what this country wants to do in that area.”
The festival, which is targeted at children from five to 15 years of age, is among a number of events and programmes organised by the Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee (ADTDC), aimed at promoting science, technology and innovation among the nation’s youth. It is run in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Abu Dhabi Education Council, and sponsored by Tawazun and Dolphin Energy.
Judging by the increasing numbers of participants, the festival has been an astounding success, according to Ahmed Saeed Al Calily, ADTDC’s director general.
“The festival continues to improve year after year,” said Mr Al Calily. “It’s having a great impact. One of the main objectives of the festival is to spread a love and passion for science and technology within our youth and their parents and the community at large.
“The festival, I think, has done a great job in doing that. We see that there’s hunger, there’s anticipation for this festival year after year.
“It’s proof that it is needed as an activity. Parents value it because they understand the strategic dimensions of having their kids interested in science and technology. But I think it’s also important that the kids go there and have a great time. They play, but they’re learning, they’re getting exposed to science and technology.”
In addition to the Corniche’s east plaza, the festival will simultaneously be held at Al Ain Zoo and at Al Majaz Waterfront in Sharjah. Some activities in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah will require tickets, which can be bought online from the festival website, starting next month.
The Al Ain Zoo exhibits will be free but only open to zoo patrons. Ticket prices will be announced soon.
Bidaya Media, the company responsible for bringing Sesame Street to the Middle East, is developing Elmo’s Reach for the Stars, a new workshop aimed at teaching children about the solar system through Elmo’s eyes.
Astronomy groups in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have also teamed up with the festival to offer new activities such as telescope observations in the evenings.
New events will also be offered by the Environment Agency. “We’ve got more than 20 new workshops that are going to be delivered by local organisations. They were created here and they will be delivered here,” said Dr Linda Silver, associate director of content, science and technology at ADTDC.
For a complete schedule of events and tu buy tickets, visit the website at abudhabisciencefestival.ae.
rpennington@thenational.ae
