Sheikha Bodour hails holding of TEDxSharjah Event

From the first speaker on stage, Captain Aisha Al Hamili, who spoke about aviation, to concluding with Kevin Abdulrahman, who discussed failure from a new dimension, attendees endorsed the lineup of speakers participating in the inaugural TEDxSharjah event. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qassimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), Michael Corbin, the United States Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, and Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal CEO of Shurooq were among TEDxSharjah audience. A group of the deaf and hard-of-hearing also enjoyed TEDxSharjah speeches, as the event provided instant American Sign Language and Emirati Sign Language interpretation. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qassimi remarked, "We are delighted to have our first ever TEDx event here in Sharjah. TEDx is well known for bringing together creative thinkers from every walk of life. Through these talks we want to stimulate the active dialogue that is such a necessary component of positive growth. We look forward to seeing the ripples of the thoughts exchanged today make their way throughout Sharjah and beyond, creating constructive change along the way and proving that we here in Sharjah and the UAE have many ideas worth spreading." Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal CEO of Shurooq, commented, "Shurooq is constantly looking for ways to further develop the immense potential of Sharjah and the Emirates. The level of creativity and lateral thought that was on display during this event not only bears testament to that potential, but shows the amazing strides that are being made to tap into the region's rich creative resources." "After nine months of working on this event, we were amazed to see how people expressed their feedback on social media about how this event inspired them and introduced new ideas", said Wafa Khalfan, TEDxSharjah curator. The LEAF Awards 2012 winning venue, Al Qasba theatre, embraced TEDxSharjah's thirteen speakers who employed the theme "A New Dimension", in addition to a Karate performance by Shotokan Centre, and live acappella singing by SAMA Quartet. Dr Haidar Alyousif highlighted how a person's major or field of study should not hinder his passion for a hobby, which can be turned into a project. Naoko Kishida, founder of UAE-Japan Center, talked about tolerance and differences between the two different cultures of UAE and Japan. Praveen Vettiyatti showed TEDxSharjah audience one of his inventions, a machine that helps farmers to pump water. Mohammed Al Shamisi, the young Emirati robotics expert, showcased one of his robots on stage, which takes commands from the human brain. Dr Raymond Hamden's speech entitled "New e-media effects on new e-generation" shed the light on media effects on parenthood and time spent with family. Entering with a climbing gear, Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani's new dimension was about life in the mountains and what one can learn from that. After that, Saeed Alnazari explained "maximize"" idea about efficient time-management. The female TEDxSharjah speakers focused on the effects of culture on their careers as women. Rabia Zargarpur introduced the "modest fashion" concept while Mariam Al Sarkal, a filmmaker, talked about filmmaking in the sense that it was not accepted culturally. Najla Al Ansari's speech was built around the beauty and spa industry and her new ideas regarding it. Mapping collaborative networks through the ADAM project was Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi's idea, which he explained thoroughly using maps and videos. During the coffee break, TEDxSharjah also provided a networking workshop, about Fast Reading, which was coordinated by Nizar Al Qahtani. The event was concluded while the vibe is still going on social media. TEDx is a programme of local, self-organised events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organised events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organised TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx programme, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)