Fujairah’s beloved Platform 9 is back: Explore food, fashion, design and drones

Platform 9, a community festival in the northern emirate of Fujairah’s Rumailah district, kicked off on February 7. The five-day event blends food, fashion and design in a sprawling indoor-outdoor purpose-built venue, reported The National.

Launched 10 years ago by Sheikha Shamseh bint Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, daughter of the Ruler of Fujairah, Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, the event seeks to be a platform that allows dreams to be realised through determination and resilience.

Platform 9’s 10th edition celebrates a decade of innovation, creativity and inspiration under the theme “Infinity”. In a world full of distractions and complications, Infinity symbolises simplicity, purpose and the recognition of endless possibilities, as per the official website.

“Success is a journey, not a destination”

“The theme underscores the infinite potential within us, emphasising that there is no defined end to what entrepreneurs can achieve.” In addition, the tagline “success is a journey, not a destination” encourages attendes to embrace failure and move forward.

Local businesses are in the spotlight at Platform 9. More than 90 vendors, many of whom are residents of Fujairah, are dotted across the indoor area. The majority of the exhibitors retail modest fashion pieces, including full-length skirts, abayas and kaftans.

Local and regional designer pop-ups include Nadia Saleh from the UAE, Najla Al Harithi from Saudi Arabia and Aisha Almamary from Oman. Accessories retailers such as Swiss watchmaker Jovial also have stalls, beside vendors of perfumes and beauty products.

Fujairah’s Platform 9 is all the rage. Here’s why

The indoor-outdoor venue in Rumailah district also has nine interactive zones designed to be “reflective spaces”. There is The Maze, The Twist, The Side Step and The U-turn, each representing different abstract ideas regarding entrepreneurship.

The outdoor section includes food trucks and a makeshift stage for daily live performances. The event is also set to host an hour-long drone show on Friday and a fireworks display on Sunday. Tickets for single-day entry are available at Dh40.