During the opening ceremony, His Highness the Deputy Ruler of Sharjah honored a group of artists with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the UAE and Gulf level. The awards were received by Emirati actorAbdullah Saleh and Saudi actor Abdul Mohsen Al Nemer, in recognition of their achievements and contributions to enriching art in general through drama, theater and cinema. He also honored Abed Fahd with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Middle East level. In the youth category, His Highness honored Emirati actor Marwan Abdullah Saleh with the Youth Award at the UAE level, while actor Hala Al Turk was crowned with the Youth Award at the Gulf level. Basil Khayat was presented with a special award in appreciation of his efforts in enriching the Arab art scene with distinguished works.