Al Qasba Food Festival 2012 kicks off on Thursday

Al  Qasba, Sharjah's premier tourist and entertainment destination, is all set to launch the 6th edition of its highly popular, Al Qasba Food Festival 2012 themed "Culinary Talents" event on Thursday, 22 March, and will run until 31 March.

An elite group of renowned chefs from hotels and restaurants in the UAE and the region will be the stars of this year's festival as they attempt to compete, amuse the audience with their cooking skills and unveil the secrets behind their delicious dishes.

Al Qasba Development Authority has announced that this year's festival will run daily throughout 10 days from 5-10 pm during the weekdays, and from 5-11 pm during the weekends. Al Qasba Food Festival is supported by Al Qasba's strategic partner Etisalat, the Heritage Department in Sharjah, and a number of food companies, including Sadia, Al Rawabi and Tikka Speaking on this occasion, Hazem Al Sawaf, Director of Marketing and Communications at Al Qasba Development Authority, said: "Capitalising on the overwhelming success and huge public turnout the festival has received over the past five years, we will be bringing together an exceptional group of chefs from various hotels and restaurants in the UAE and the region to show off their culinary skills while making their specialty dishes." "This year's festival will highlight Emirati dishes through the participation of a host of Emirati chefs who will show their cooking skills," he added.

Al Sawaf revealed that the six edition of Al Qasba Food Festival will feature many events, such as "Sadia Chef Theatre" which will host several shows, including chef shows, competitions, cooking workshops and food carving displays, where chefs will show their culinary skills and present different food recipes from various global cuisines, as well as special juice and cocktail recipes, and also the little chef competitions."

He added that Al Qasba Development Authority has introduced a new platform, "Tikka Cooking School" which will host adults and kids workshops, where chefs will amuse the visitors with their cooking skills and present different recipes from international cuisines and give them a chance to taste their delicious dishes." The festival will also feature stands representing popular restaurants, food and sweet companies, cafes and outlets showcasing their food products by the water canal. Musical shows by touring chefs will also be among this year's festival activities adding more excitement and lustre to the event throughout its 10 days.

Hessah Sultan, Deputy Director of Marketing and Communications at Al Qasba Development Authority, said: "Al Qasba Food Festival will feature food competitions, valuable prizes for visitors and participants, apart from prizes which will be given away in cooperation with Arabic and English Radio 4 FM which will cover the festival's activities live." "The food festival offers a unique opportunity for all members of the family to see the skills and art of cooking and taste delicious dishes from different parts of the world, as well as to enjoy entertaining activities, shows and contests," Hessah said.

"The Authority is keen to pay special attention to families and to meet the needs of all age groups to ensure that everyone has a great time. There are more surprises that will be announced during the festival," she added.

Al Qasba Food Festival 2012 is expected to draw thousands of visitors from the UAE and abroad during its 10-day run due to the fact that the festival's popularity has grown as an interesting and entertaining event, Hessah added.

It was first launched in 2007 at Al Qasba which is one of the premier tourist, leisure and cultural destinations in the Emirate of Sharjah and region. Al Qasba was recently ranked 8th amongst the top 10 most authentic Arab brands.

It is spread over 10,000 hectares and boasts a range of state-of-the-art facilities and tourism attractions, including restaurants, cafes, Etisalat Eye of the Emirates Ferris Wheel, the 300 seats Al Qasba Theatre, which hosts various Arabic and international films and plays; water canals, pedestrian bridges, Kids Fun Zone, Musical Fountain, Maraya Art Centre, Al Qasba Business Centre and Multaqa Al Qasba, and much more.

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