Sharjah shines!

As the cultural stronghold of the United Arab Emirates, Sharjah has a wide range of attractions and activities on offer for every kind of traveller to make the most of.

- RAUL DIAS

The bright, almost neon red camel lithely trots past the mountain's hairpin bends and undulations. The mountain itself seems to be ablaze in a hundred different shades of orange that offset the inky blue of the night sky brilliantly. Shapes shift in the blink of an eye. I suddenly notice that the camel has now morphed into a falcon that soars upward. Suddenly bursting into a zillion silver stars that evaporate just as quickly as they appear. As I see this unfold before my bewildered eyes, I need to constantly remind myself that this is not a fevered, kaleidoscopic dream. It's reality.

Making light of it

I'm here in Sharjah in early February for the 2025 edition of the Sharjah Light Festival. And the montage I'm attempting to make sense of is taking place as part of the festival. Projected by a multitude of laser lights and enhanced by sound effects onto the mountains, these form the backdrop of the majestic Al Rafisah Dam and reservoir. A calming place where my friends and I have just enjoyed a spot of sunset kayaking and boating. All this, near the region of Khorfakkan along Sharjah's dramatic East Coast.

To put things into context, The Sharjah Light Festival 2025 is a mesmerising celebration of art, technology, and light. Held annually, the festival transforms the city and the surrounding region's iconic landmarks, including mosques, museums, and cultural centres, into stunning canvases of light and projection mapping.

Surprises galore

But I soon realise that there's so much more that one of the seven emirates (and the only one that borders all other six!) that make up the UAE, has to offer.