Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi is the UAE's Minister of Culture
March 21, 2024
UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, once said: “The book is a container of science, civilisation, culture, knowledge, literature and arts. Nations are not only measured by material wealth but also by their civil authenticity. The book is the basis of this authenticity and a key factor in the confirmation of its civilisation.”
This profound insight underscores our leadership’s philosophy and the belief that our nation’s greatest asset is its people. And to nurture their skills, we must start with the fundamental building block: reading. We are now halfway through National Reading Month 2024 in the UAE, and I am filled with a deep sense of appreciation for the transformative power of reading. I hope that the initiatives and activities planned for this month enable us to actively engage and connect with the community.
The value of reading cannot be overstated. Whether novels, newspapers, journals or magazines, reading provides us with the tools necessary for personal and intellectual growth. It is through reading that we cultivate critical thinking, analytical skills and a nuanced understanding of the world around us. It also opens the door to myriad cultures, fosters empathy, broadens our perspective on any given topic and offers insight to human experiences beyond our immediate surroundings. In fact, so much of what we know about our world has been learnt through reading, rather than via first-hand experience. Perhaps most importantly in an increasingly polarised world, reading helps us understand the lives and experiences of others.
The Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival will run until Sunday at the Sharjah Expo Centre. Photo: Chris Whiteoak / The National
Performers dress up and play music at the festival. Photo: Chris Whiteoak / The National
A live music workshop. Photo: Chris Whiteoak / The National
Students from the Victoria English school, Sharjah, draw pictures at a festival workshop. Photo: Chris Whiteoak / The National
There are more than 100 publishers specialising in children's literature at the festival this year. Photo: Chris Whiteoak / The National
Books on display at Sharjah Expo Centre. Photo: Chris Whiteoak / The National
Performer shows off his martial arts skills. Photo: Chris Whiteoak / The National
Author Sudha Murty signs books at the festival. Photo: Chris Whiteoak / The National
Children take part in a dance performance. Photo: Chris Whiteoak / The National
More than 400 guests including authors, artists, illustrators, experts and influencers are involved in talks, demonstrations, activities and workshops for both children and adults. Photo: Pawan Singh / The National
Parents and their children watch a performance at one of the festival's many shows and theatre productions. Photo: Pawan Singh / The National
Roaming performers at the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival. Photo: Pawan Singh / The National
Children take part in an art workshop. Photo: Pawan Singh / The National
Look for topics that interest you and read every day to open up endless possibilities of discovery and learning
National Reading Month in the UAE has grown bigger with each edition. This year, too, ministries, government institutions and the private sector are collaborating to present various activities. Among them is an initiative to republish rare books, thereby protecting their legacy from being lost. The Ministry of Culture has partnered with the Emirates Writers Union to bring 12 such books back to life. In addition to this, we will also translate a collection of Emirati literary pieces into different languages. The reading month in the UAE is a community event and this year it coincides with the Holy Month of Ramadan, providing us with an opportunity to bring culture, literature and tradition together.
Books have been an integral part of the UAE’s journey. Every emirate is connected through an extensive network of public libraries, which are home to some of the most valuable and rare books. Built over the years, these treasure troves of knowledge are not just places of reading but also hubs for knowledge sharing and cultural activities.
Take, for example, the Qasr Al Watan Library, which was launched during National Reading Month in 2019. With more than 50,000 titles on science, the arts and other fields, this library spotlights how the UAE’s National Strategy of Reading and National Reading Month have been instrumental in reminding us of the significance of books. The National Library and Archives Abu Dhabi is another great example of how libraries contribute to this legacy and play a central role in building the country’s strong knowledge infrastructure. The National Library and Archives are currently working on digitising books about the UAE, the Gulf and the Arab world to offer an accessible platform and resource to researchers at the local, regional and global levels.
In Dubai, we have the Mohammed bin Rashid Library, which marks its 10th anniversary this year and houses hundreds of thousands of books from all over the world, covering different genres and languages. Al Safa Art and Design Library was revamped and opened to the public during National Reading Month in 2019 and hosts a remarkable collection of books on design, calligraphy, architecture and the arts.
Sharjah has been instrumental in positioning the UAE on the global cultural map since the 1970s, and this is evident through initiatives such as the Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre for Gulf Studies, which houses a rich collection of centuries-old maps, manuscripts and books. The House of Wisdom is yet another cultural hub that places books at the forefront of community engagement offering a massive library and space for people to appreciate, critique and discuss books.
National Reading Month 2024 provides us all with a welcome reminder of the value of reading and an opportunity to discover or rediscover it for ourselves. I encourage you to utilise the initiative and activities this month to make reading a habit. Look for topics that interest you and read every day to open up endless possibilities of discovery and learning.
I am sharing some recommendations from my personal library to help you get started: Nuthum Al-Fara’id in the Legacy of Ibn Majid by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah; Letters to a Young Muslim, a collection of letters addressing the complexities of being a Muslim in the modern world, by Omar Ghobash; and Celestial Bodiesby Jokha Alharthi, winner of the 2019 International Booker Prize.
Team Team Pederson (-40), Team Kyriacou (-39), Team De Roey (-39), Team Mehmet (-37), Team Pace (-36), Team Dimmock (-33)
Individual E. Pederson (-14), S. Kyriacou (-12), A van Dam (-12), L. Galmes (-12), C. Hull (-9), E. Givens (-8),
G. Hall (-8), Ursula Wikstrom (-7), Johanna Gustavsson (-7)
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Tamkeen's offering
Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
Option 2: 50% across three years
Option 3: 30% across five years
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
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Saturday Spezia v Lazio (6pm), Juventus v Torino (9pm), Inter Milan v Bologna (7.45pm)
Sunday Verona v Cagliari (3.30pm), Parma v Benevento, AS Roma v Sassuolo, Udinese v Atalanta (all 6pm), Crotone v Napoli (9pm), Sampdoria v AC Milan (11.45pm)
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
