ABU DHABI, 9th February, 2023 (WAM) — The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), concluded its participation in the 54th Cairo International Book Fair, which concluded on 6th February.
The Centre hosted a busy agenda of cultural events and activities that brought together renowned intellectuals and creative thinkers, and attracted large numbers of the fair’s visitors and participants. The agenda included a wide range of seminars, discussion panels, poetry and musical evenings, as well as book signings for the ALC’s most prominent publications in various fields.
The Centre also participated in a variety of events organised by the Cairo International Book Fair, driven by its mission to strengthen the status of the Arabic language and encourage the production of Arabic-language creative and cultural content at the regional level.
Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the ALC, said “The Cairo International Book Fair is a prominent cultural event that brings together pioneers of the publishing and book industry from all around the world every year. It is an ideal platform for ALC to showcase the progress we have made in our projects and initiatives, as well as to promote our publications in various fields. It is also an opportunity to explore the latest global trends in publishing and translation, and to build productive partnerships with publishing houses and stakeholders with extensive experience in cultural and creative affairs in the Arab region, laying solid foundations for future projects.”
On the sidelines of the fair, the Centre organised a series of musical and artistic celebrations in collaboration with Egypt’s Cultural Development Fund, including two concerts in the Al Ghoury Dome. Umm Kulthoom: Poetry and Singing saw artist Marwa Nagy and her band perform the songs of the famed Egyptian singer, to celebrate the launch of ALC’s book of the same name. Meanwhile, at Abu al Tayyeb and Shawqi: A Selection of Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan’s Favourite Poems, audiences enjoyed compositions by Egyptian musician Mustafa Saeed, performed by the Aseel Band for Contemporary Arabic Music.
The ALC also organised a screening and reception at Cinema El Hanager at the Cairo Opera House, for the film Millstone: Al Ain “The Eye” is the First to See Dreams by Emirati director Nasser Al-Dhaheri. The film documents the life of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father of the UAE, and recounts how he spearheaded a renaissance in the eastern region of Abu Dhabi.
ALC Chairman bin Tamim took part in a panel discussion organised by the Centre under the title Arabic Language in Educational Curricula: Current Situation and Development Mechanisms, which explored the presence of the Arabic language in various educational curricula in the Arab region, and presents the report issued by the ALC on that subject. Bin Tamim also participated in the opening session of the second edition of the Translation from Arabic: Bridge of Civilisation conference, as well as a session titled Salah Fadl: Critical Efforts between Theory and Practice, both organised by the fair.
The ALC’s Acting Executive Director, Saeed Hamdan Al-Tunaiji, took part in a panel discussion at the Intellectual Property Conference titled The Threat of Piracy on the Economics of Publishing, and another session at the Translation from Arabic: Bridge of Civilisation conference titled The Role of Awards in Supporting Translation.
The Centre’s agenda included an evening with Emirati poet Khulood Al Mualla, who performed a selection of her poems, and a panel discussion about the book Ali Bey Al-Abbasi’s Travels: Travel Literature and the Translation Challenges, which shed light on translated content and the challenges translators face when working on travel literature.
The Centre collaborated with the Arab Cultural Salon Foundation to organise a talk titled The Generation of Pioneers and Their Impact on Arab Culture: The Experience of Salah Fadl and Jaber Asfour, and also also held a symposium and book signing event for the publication Umm Kulthoom: Poetry and Singing, part of a series of music books issued by the ALC. It also hosted a panel session for the book Café Riche: Unfolding Egypt’s History by Emirati novelist and poet Maisoon Saqer, winner of the 2022 Sheikh Zayed Book Award in the Literature category.
The session The Short Story in the UAE discussed the craft of short-form writing, exploring its evolution, main characteristics, stages of development, and the most notable names in the field. Lastly, the session Arabic Music: Power of Influence…and Richness of Impact tracked the development of Arabic music through the ages.