Emirates

Emirates Litfest Student Edition now available for schools

DUBAI, 4th January, 2022 (WAM) — The Emirates Literature Foundation has unveiled its education programme for the upcoming Emirates LitFest Students Edition and begun ticket sales.

Building on the success of the virtual programme in 2021, the schedule for 2022 will feature a great line-up of virtual sessions made available to schools for one month, from 10th February to 10th March. There is a nominal fee per school, rather than per student, which makes the virtual programme more accessible to everyone, including those located too far away to make it to the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in person.

Designed to be engaging and interactive, students have been asked to submit their questions in advance for authors to answer.

Ahlam Bolooki, Festival Director, said, "We are always looking at how we can make our festival and our education programme more inclusive and more accessible. While it was the pandemic that made us pivot to a virtual programme, the feedback we received this year from schools was amazing. By removing the travel time and the need for individual tickets for each student, we reached an even greater number of students, including those distance learning. We are thrilled with the line-up of authors for this year’s Emirates LitFest Student Edition, and I am confident that they will inspire young people across the country."

Schools can choose between a group of five English sessions, five Arabic sessions, or both languages. During the month, the school can show each session as many times as they want, in different classes, at assemblies, or as a view-at home-task discussed later in class.

The English language sessions feature authors of all ages, including Polly Dunbar (age 4+), Layne Redman (age 6+), Erin Entrada Kelly (age 9+), Nayanika Mahtani (age 12+), and Carlos Andres Gomez (age 15+).

Arabic language sessions feature Julnar Haju (age 4+), Nadia Al Najjar (age 6+), Ali Ashoor (age 9+), Sahar Naja Mahfouz (12+), and Hadil Ghoneim (age 15+).

There will also be a small number of education programme sessions on-site at the festival in Habtoor City for school trips. Each school will be limited to a maximum of 30 tickets on a first-come, first-serve basis. The festival is being held from 3rd to 13th February across Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City, Habtoor Palace Dubai, and V Hotel Dubai.

School competitions, including the Emirates NBD Poetry For All, RGS Guildford Dubai Children’s Letter Writing, Chevron Readers’ Cup, and the Story Writing competitions, will celebrate the winners at the festival.

School Librarian of the Year for 2022 will also be crowned at a special awards ceremony.

Emirates

UAE charity campaign launches in Russia’s Siberia

MOSCOW, 1st April, 2023 (WAM) — The Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities (IACAD) in Dubai, in cooperation with the UAE Embassy in the Russian Federation, has organised a charitable campaign, during which humanitarian aid was distributed to the needy and poor in the city of Omsk, the administrative centre of Omsk oblast region, Siberia, Russia.

The charity campaign saw the distribution of winter clothing and food to the needy and impoverished. Humanitarian aid was given and distributed in the region's central mosque, as well as during field visits to some families in their homes, where the people of the district expressed their gratitude and appreciation to IACAD.

The Religious Administration for Muslims of the Russian Federation expressed heartfelt gratitude to those in charge of carrying out the charitable humanitarian initiative, as well as to the UAE Embassy in the Russian Federation, for their help in making it a success.

These initiatives are part of the UAE's ongoing efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to nations around the world, out of the country's belief in the principle of cooperation and interdependence.

Emirates

Over 300,000 houses will be built within a year, says Turkish President

ANKARA, 1st April, 2023 (WAM) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday pledged to rebuild the country's southern region that was struck by powerful earthquakes on 6th February, claiming the lives of more than 50,000 people.

"Our aim is to restore our cities in the earthquake zone by handing over 319,000 residences and village houses to owners within a year," Erdogan said at a ground-breaking ceremony in quake-hit Elazig province.

According to state-run Anadolu Agency, Erdogan said Türkiye will erase the traces of the destruction caused by the disaster, and prepare "more strongly" for possible disasters in the future.

Magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes struck 11 Turkish provinces. More than 13.5 million people in Türkiye have been affected by the quakes, as well as many others in northern Syria.

Emirates

Umm AL Qaiwain Ruler receives Ramadan well-wishers

UMM AL QAIWAIN, 1st April, 2023 (WAM) — H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Umm Al Qaiwain, Saturday received Ramadan well-wishers at his palace in the presence of H.H. Sheikh Rashid bin Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla, Crown Prince of Umm Al Qaiwain, on the tenth day of the holy month.

Sheikh Saud received Ramadan greetings from Sheikhs, Chairmen and Heads of government departments in the country; dignitaries; and businesspersons, who congratulated him on the occasion of the Holy Month and wished him good health and further progress for the UAE and other Muslim and Arab nations.

A number of sheikhs, heads of departments and top officials attended the reception.