ABU DHABI // Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, on Monday night received his Cultural Personality of the Year honours at the Sheikh Zayed Book Award.
And presenting it to him at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair was Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
After receiving his award, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid told the audience a story about Sheikh Zayed, the founder of the country, his own father Sheikh Rashid, and the unification of the emirates.
“Zayed was the nation in one man,” he said. “I’d like to tell you a story about the founders. I knew Zayed before the establishment of the union and, as you know, there were nine emirates and Zayed visited all emirates.
“Later on, we have seen that the efforts were scattered. One day, Zayed and Rashid met together in a small tent and they sat on the floor. They prayed together and had lunch and they came back. I had the honour to serve them coffee from another tent, which was next to their tent.
“The challenges were very big and were related to the fact that the Arab countries and people did not establish unions. Some foreign countries did not want unions to be established.
“There were also some internal problems related to the infrastructure, schools, lack of universities. Zayed and Rashid decided to unite and then the other emirates and their Rulers would follow.”
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed said the selection of the Vice President for the coveted title was a celebration of “solid determination and wise vision, which enabled him to lead a comprehensive progress in all domains, including culture”.
He said the Vice President’s achievements and initiatives reflected his innovative outlook and his passion for seeking new challenges to surmount and new horizons to reach.
“I sincerely congratulate the people of the UAE and salute our innovators on this well-deserved recognition,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed said.
He also congratulated winners of this year’s Zayed Book Awards.
Journalist Osama Alaysa won the literature award for his novel Majaneen Bait Lahem (The Fools of Bethlehem). Hanawa Haruo from Japan took the translation award for translating Naguib Mahfouz's Cairo Trilogy, which comprises Palace Walk, Palace of Desire and Sugar Street.
The Arab Culture in Other Languages award was accepted by Sugita Hideaki from Japan for his book Arabian-Naito To Nihon-Jin (The Arabian Nights and the Japanese) and Arab Scientific Publishers Inc won the publishing and technology award.
Present at the awards were Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region.
Also attending were Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon, chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Cultural Authority, and Dr Ali bin Tamim, secretary general of Sheikh Zayed Book Award.
A session was also held last night to honour and remember the late Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, a heritage adviser to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and former chairman of Abu Dhabi Media.
Sultan Al Amimi, director of the Poetry Academy at Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee, and Raad Bandar, cultural supervisor, shared their memories of Mr Al Mazrouei.
“I really appreciated his modesty and when I first met him he came down to receive me at the entrance as if he knew me for a long time and received me as a brother,” said Mr Al Amimi.
He said Mr Al Mazrouei celebrated creativity. “At the book fairs, I would be surprised to see him go to different stands. He did not differentiate between writers. He would congratulate the author and come to signing ceremonies.”
“I appreciated the human touch in him. I miss his presence. I miss not having him around.”
Mr Bandar said Mr Al Mazrouei’s “rest was in working”.
“He had the sense of beauty and he really made a cultural project out of ideas. He was a mixture of culture and modernity.
“He was man of the desert with a soul of mountain climbers.”
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