The 11th edition of the Fès International University Theatre Festival (FITUF), opened on Tuesday evening at the Al Houria cultural complex, paid a vibrant tribute to two leading figures of contemporary Arab theatre, namely Fatema Al Ghalia Cherradi, from Morocco, and Omar Al Ghabbach, from the United Arab Emirates. Personalities from the national theatrical scene, invited by the Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, the initiator of this event, paid tribute to the artistic career of the Emirati playwright Omar Al Ghabbach and the Moroccan artist Fatema Al Ghalia Cherradi, known as Doustoura. She was the first woman in Dakhla to have performed in theatre.

The festival director, Saïd Naji, highlighted the pioneering role of the two artists as well as the key moments of their long artistic career on stage. In a statement to MAP, Mr. Naji also praised their ability to multiply theatrical and television creations while remaining faithful to a typecast character, distinguishing them within the theatrical scene. The opening ceremony was punctuated by two theatrical performances (out of competition), the first performed by the Emirati artist Omar Al Ghabbach, who played the role of the famous mystic El Hellaj. The second play, titled "Bayadek" (Pawns), was the work of the theatre creation troupe from the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences Dhar El Mehrez (Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University of Fès). This year, the theatrical stage will be given to ten university troupes representing the Arab world, Africa, Europe, and Asia, who will tread the boards of the sumptuous Al-Houria cultural complex until 7 May. In parallel with the festival's official competition, debates on various aspects of theatrical art will be led by specialists, notably a conference on "Theatre and Criticism" which will be led by the vice-president of the International Association of Theatre Critics.