Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre hosts special session in honour of Yahya Al-Hajj

The Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre, a one-of-its-kind initiative in the UAE held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), hosted a special session in honour of the ‘Personality of the Year,’ thespian Yahya Al-Hajj.

Joined by a group of renowned artists from the UAE’s theatre scene including Abdul Amir, Mohamed Serafi, Ahmed Buraiki, Ahmed Al Jasmi, Samira Ahmed, Mariam Sultan, and Abdullah Saleh, among others, the special session highlighted the achievements of Al-Hajj, whose contribution to the artform is regarded as a benchmark for emerging artists.

Specialised in performing arts, research, and critiquing, Al-Hajj is the Theatre Expert at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development. He has also served on the jury of the fourth edition of the Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre.

Now in its fifth edition, the Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre will be held until October 11, 2011 at the Dubai Cultural & Scientific Association. The winners of the festival, which features some 11 plays, will be announced at the closing ceremony to be held on October 12, 2011, at Raffles Dubai.