Noura Al Kaabi launches UAE-China week ahead of Xi Jinping's visit


John Dennehy
  • English
  • Arabic

The visit of China's president, Xi Jinping, will encourage cultural bonds as well as strengthen political and economic ties, the UAE’s Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development has said.

Noura Al Kaabi launched UAE-China Week — dedicated to boosting ties between the two countries — in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday alongside the Chinese ambassador to the UAE, Ni Jian.

Culture is at the heart of UAE-China Week and a special pavilion at Manarat Al Saadiyat is the centrepiece of this. Visitors can learn more about China through art, board games, music and even cinema screenings, while those who want to know more about the UAE can find out about pearl-diving, calligraphy, henna and embroidery.

Ms Al Kaabi and Mr Ni toured the pavilion on Tuesday to launch the event.

"It's a really important time for us to look at this relationship as not just economic or political ties but what will bond it together and that's the cultural element," Ms Al Kaabi told The National.

“This week is a week that will happen every year and … I’m truly proud to have students from Hamdan bin Zayed School speaking fluently in Mandarin. There will be more cultural agreements and partnerships happening with China,” she said.

One of these pupils was Saif Al Dhaheri, 15, who speaks Mandarin and spoke to the ambassador on Tuesday. Saif has been studying Chinese since 2006 as part of a pilot project at the school.

“It’s difficult but it helps me,” he said. “If we know the language now, it will be easier to build links with them and it’s better if we are friends with the country. It was also easier when I went to China with the school and we went to local markets.”

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A painting of Abu Dhabi’s oldest building Qasr Al Hosn, alongside one of the entrances to Tiananmen Square, is one of the most striking pieces on display at the pavilion. The piece by Chinese artist Jack Lee features calligraphy from renowned UAE artist Mohammed Mandi, who was working on the piece during the launch. Mr Mandi’s work can be seen in the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, on the UAE currency and passports. The artwork  pays tribute to the close links between China and the UAE and Ms Al Kaabi and Mr Ni stopped for several minutes there.

Mr Lee has been based in the UAE for about 13 years and teaches fine art at universities.

“I feel very happy and excited,” he said about Mr Xi’s visit. “And now I have the chance to work with Mohammed Mandi to create this piece about the relationship between the UAE and China.

“I like it here and I don’t feel like a foreigner. If you work hard everyone has a chance.”

Elsewhere in the pavilion, Chinese classical musician Bai Juan was the focus of a lot of attention. Ms Bai, 24, has been playing the guzheng, a plucked strong instrument, for 17 years and the ancient Chinese sounds echoed throughout Manarat Al Saadiyat during the day.

Visitors also learned about Chinese art, ceramics and also got a taste of UAE traditions. A majlis, a miniature dhow, embroidery and coffee making area with dallahs were also popular.

Along the entrance were pictures showing Sheikh Zayed, the late President, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, on their visits to China.

UAE-China Week comes as the UAE prepares to welcome Mr Xi on Thursday for one of the largest state visits the UAE has ever seen.

It’s not clear if the Chinese president will be holding any public events but he is expected to visit Louvre Abu Dhabi along with other engagements.

“This visit will be a visit of friendship, co-operation and will chart a future of China-UAE relations and it is really a historical and important one,” said Mr Ni.

Formal ties between the UAE and China were established in 1984 and Sheikh Zayed visited China in 1990. Today, about 200,000 Chinese expatriates call the UAE home. Chinese visitors to the UAE are eligible for visa on arrival while on Saturday it was announced that Chinese TV dramas will be dubbed into Arabic and broadcast to the Middle East.

RESULTS

Women:

55kg brown-black belt: Amal Amjahid (BEL) bt Amanda Monteiro (BRA) via choke
62kg brown-black belt: Bianca Basilio (BRA) bt Ffion Davies (GBR) via referee’s decision (0-0, 2-2 adv)
70kg brown-black belt: Ana Carolina Vieira (BRA) bt Jessica Swanson (USA), 9-0
90kg brown-black belt: Angelica Galvao (USA) bt Marta Szarecka (POL) 8-2

Men:

62kg black belt: Joao Miyao (BRA) bt Wan Ki-chae (KOR), 7-2
69kg black belt: Paulo Miyao (BRA) bt Gianni Grippo (USA), 2-2 (1-0 adv)
77kg black belt: Espen Mathiesen (NOR) bt Jake Mackenzie (CAN)
85kg black belt: Isaque Braz (BRA) bt Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE), 2-0
94kg black belt: Felipe Pena (BRA) bt Adam Wardzinski (POL), 4-0
110kg black belt final: Erberth Santos (BRA) bt Lucio Rodrigues (GBR) via rear naked choke

Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

THE DETAILS

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Dir: Ron Howard

Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson

3/5

RESULT

Brazil 2 Croatia 0
Brazil: 
Neymar (69'), Firmino (90' 3)    

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RESULTS

6.30pm Handicap (TB) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

Winner Golden Goal, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)

7.05pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,410m

Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

7.40pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner Switzerland, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar

8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m

Winner Lord Giltters, Adrie de Vries, David O’Meara

8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner Military Law, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.

9.25pm Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,400m

Winner Land Of Legends, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor

10pm Dubai Dash Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,000m

Winner Equilateral, Frankie Dettori, Charles Hills.

Ticket prices

General admission Dh295 (under-three free)

Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free

Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets