Musical fountain to be main draw waterfront

A musical fountain, part of the Dh100 million Al Majaz Waterfront Development project, is set to become the new landmark of Sharjah, according to a senior official of the emirate. Marwan Jasem Al Sarkal, chief executive officer of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), told Gulf News that Sharjah will unveil this new attraction in November. The musical fountain will be 220 metres wide and will shoot water up to 100 metres into the air, Al Sarkal said. Located in the Khalid Lagoon Corniche, its aim will be to draw tourists to the emirate. Al Majaz is considered to be one of the most important projects being developed by Shurooq. Article continues below "The musical fountain is an important component of the project and it will have 20 shows with various musical and laser arrangements and five video projections on water screens, every day," Al Sarkal said. According to the plan, each of the five daily shows will last 20 minutes. The shows and lights will change according to the occasion, such as the UAE National Day, New Year, Eid and others, Al Sarkal added. Aiming to modernise He said: "We want all people who visit Sharjah to have an enjoyable time. "Sharjah Fountain is not intended to rival that in Dubai and we cannot compare our fountain with the one in Dubai Mall, which is 275 metres long and shoots water 150 metres into the air. "Sharjah has had a fountain for long time in the Al Buhairah area but now we are developing it and adding many modern features." About 60 per cent of the project work is complete, he said, and a soft opening is being planned for October, with the official opening the following month. According to Al Sarkal, 4,700 square metres have been allocated for the construction of eight new restaurants and cafés which will face the new fountain. "We will provide the area with all facilities that families need, like open and closed spaces, car parking, jogging tracks and day-care centres," Al Sarkal said and added that the project intends to serve people of all ages. He said Al Majaz Park will be the first park in the UAE to allocate separate spaces and playgrounds for people with special needs. New landmark The purpose of the Al Majaz Waterfront Project is to create a new waterfront landmark in the emirate of Sharjah by beautifying and extending the existing park, according to Al Sarkal. The expansion of the park is aimed not only at spreading greenery and creating an ecological setting, but also including and enhancing this public space by boosting activities and bringing people of all cultures together, he said. "The re-development of the park will see the introduction of several new elements, such as a musical cybernetic fountain, restaurants, cafes, children's playgrounds, as well as various cultural venues," he added.