Promotion of Arabic at the core of new UAE strategy on literature and publishing

Minister of Culture and Youth Noura Al Kaabi says plans include documentation of Emirati literary initiatives and programmes

Noura Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of Culture and Youth, gives a keynote address at the Arabic Language Summit in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

A new strategy to overhaul the UAE’s literature and publishing industry has been announced by the Ministry of Culture and Youth.

To be launched next year, a new suite of policies and initiatives will be designed to govern and enhance both industries, with a focus on copyright protection and intellectual property.

The move was announced by Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, on the opening day of the Arabic Language Summit.

Organised by the ministry and Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, the two-day event, held at Manarat Saadiyat, brings together regional authors and thought leaders for discussions surrounding the current state and advancement of the Arabic language.

“The Ministry of Culture and Youth will launch a strategy to stimulate and govern the literature and publishing sector, develop current laws and legislation related to the protection of copyright, publishing and intellectual property and analyse the sector's current and future needs,” Al Kaabi said in her keynote address.

“We will document Emirati literary initiatives and programmes and measure its presence in educational curricula. We will build a digital database documenting these achievements and prepare implementation reports that include the most important strengths, challenges and opportunities for improvement.”

Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, says the UAE creative and cultural industries are primed for growth. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Speaking to The National on the sidelines of the conference, Al Kaabi said the aim of the new strategy is to “incentivise” all the players in literary and cultural scenes to ultimately enhance the status of the Arabic language.

"We are looking at ways on how to support the language and how we can make it thrive through music, theatre, publications, poetry, calligraphy and many other forms," she said.

Turbocharging the publishing sector's embrace of digital platforms such as ebooks also forms part of the ministry's plans, in addition to strengthening safeguards against the scourge of piracy.

"We are approaching this from a view of this being one big ecosystem," Al Kaabi said.

"We want publishers and distributors to understand the importance of copyright and to develop the importance of copyright as well as well developing the right algorithms to understand what books are being read and how to work smarter when it comes to the market.”

Zayed University has established the Zai Centre, dedicated to teaching Arabic. Photo: Zayed University

Al Kaabi said the recently launched Zai Centre in Abu Dhabi's Zayed University, a teaching hub exploring how Arabic is taught across the globe, will provide some of the insights formulating part of the ministry’s strategy.

"The research aspect is important and I have to highlight the work of the Zai Centre," she said.

"The centre will look at the research conducted and provide ways on how to build collaborations between the private and government sector and how we can take them to the next level."

The Arabic Language Summit caps off another strong year for the UAE cultural sector, which includes the staging of the Culture Summit Abu Dhabi in October and the June launch of a landmark joint study by the Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi and Unesco on the pandemic's impact on the cultural and creative industries.

The Culture Summit Abu Dhabi was full of thought-provoking discussions and heritage performances. Victor Besa / The National

“I think the pandemic gave us the opportunity, for all of us in the sector, of going through a great reset and we are now really looking into our core priorities,” Al Kaabi said.

"We are really assessing what matters the most and we are focusing on the most impactful way to represent the culture of the UAE not just within the country but abroad as well. I have always looked at this as an opportunity than a challenge."

The 2022 edition of the Culture Summit - in pictures

Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, founder of Barjeel Art Foundation, takes part in the discussion on the third and final day of Culture Summit Abu Dhabi. All photos: Victor Besa / The National

Manal Ataya, director general at Sharjah Museums Authority, also took part in the panel.

Maya Allison, executive director and chief curator at the NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery, joined the discussion.

A panellist speaks during the event.

The New Canon was one of the panels held on day three of the Culture Summit Abu Dhabi.

Famed pianist, composer and educator Danilo Perez waves to the crowd.

Former minister and now diplomatic advisor Anwar Gargash. Victor Besa / The National

Visitors were treated to a traditional Al Ayala dance, where performers hold thin bamboo canes and move to steady drum rhythms.

Al Ayala is often performed at weddings and other celebrations.

Chris Dercon in conversation with architect Sir David Adjaye.

A session on Taking Bollywood Global: Dynamics of Diversity, moderated by Hans Fraikin, Abu Dhabi Film Commissioner.

Kabir Khan, director of '83', in the conversation on Bollywood.

Taking Bollywood Global: Dynamics of Diversity - Aashish Singh, Chief Executive Officer, Lyca Productions.

Andre Timmins, founder and director of Wizcraft and IIFA, as part of the discussion on Bollywood.

A member of the audience watching a panel called 'Taking Bollywood Global: Dynamics of Diversity'.

Day three of the Culture Summit Abu Dhabi opened with a traditional performance from the mountain regions.

The event was a meeting of minds, with visitors from across various sectors sharing their thoughts on the post-Covid cultural world.

Omar Saif Ghobash, UAE ambassador to Vatican, speaks at the event.

Grammy Award-winning producer Jimmy Jam discussed the regional music scene.

Mohamed Al Mubarak in conversation with Frank Gehry, Architect, Gehry Partners.

Robot artist Ai-Da, left, in conversation with The National's Hareth Al Bustani, far right, with her creator Aidan Meller, looking on.

Performance by Iraqi oud virtuoso Naseer Shamma.

The audience listens to Mohamed Al Mubarak in conversation with Frank Gehry, Architect, Gehry Partners.

Harvey Mason Jr, chief executive of Recording Academy, lecturing on 'Music and Influence on Global Culture'.

An attendee on day two of the Culture Summit in Abu Dhabi.

A discussion on 'Mentoring for Impact', with moderator Fiammetta Rocco, senior editor and culture editor of The Economist, and speakers Erica Love, director of Culture Central, Eric Wainaina, artist and founder of The Nairobi Musical Theatre Initiative, and Gael Hedding, director of Berklee Abu Dhabi.

A peformance of 'The Roots' by French Algerian choreographer Kader Attou, a dance performance in which he returns to the origins of hip-hop with an acrobatic celebration of the genre. Eleven dancers perform different facets of the former underground culture and show how the body can bend to different beats: from breakdance to Smurf, electric boogie to popping.

A discussion on 'AI and the Future of Culture', with moderator Priya Khanchandani, head of curatorial + interpretation at the Design Museum, and speakers Aidan Meller, director of Ai-Da Robot and Oxfordians, and Suhair Khan, founder and director of Open/Ended Design.

Artificial intelligence-powered robot artist Ai-Da at the Culture Summit in Abu Dhabi. Ai-Da's work reflects human aesthetic tastes and the conditions by which they are shaped.

Ai-Da in conversation with Tim Marlow, chief executive and director of London's Design Museum, who analysed the creative philosophy of the world’s first humanoid artist.

Mr Marlow introduces Ai-Da at the summit.

Eyal Weizman, director of research agency Forensic Architecture, speaks on the use of technology such as machine learning, as well as the importance of modelling and simulations.

UAE Minister of Culture and Youth Noura Al Kaabi gives the keynote address.

This year’s Culture Summit will be attended by 1,000 people while another 5,000 will take part online.

The summit seeks to identify ways in which culture can transform societies and communities around the globe.

The conference brings together decision makers in culture, heritage, public policy and technology, as well as artists, thinkers and performers from around the world.

The summit is now in its fifth year.

It is organised by Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism.

The theme of this year's event is 'A Living Culture'.

The summit has returned with a more extensive programme.

UAE Minister of Culture and Youth, Noura Al Kaabi at the summit.

In-person attendance returned to the event after it moved online for two years owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In only five years, the summit has grown from a noble idea into a staple of the international cultural calendar.

Mohamed Al Mubarak, chairman of DCT — Abu Dhabi, arrives with Steve Harvey.

Zaki Nusseibeh, cultural adviser to the President, attends the event.

Mr Nusseibeh moderated a discussion on 'The role of culture in making resilient and shared societies', featuring former Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaite, former Malawian president Joyce Banda and former Croatian president Ivo Josipovic.

Mr Al Mubarak makes the welcome speech and opening remarks.

Ms Banda, former president of Malawi, takes part in the discussion moderated by Mr Nusseibeh.