Held under the theme ‘Here Comes the Sun’, one of the world’s leading literary events, opens today with a host of unique sessions featuring some of the biggest literary figures in the UAE and from across the globe.

The first day is dedicated to Emirati talent, with sessions covering everything from literary fiction and poetry to probing discussions about the cultural economy, women blazing their own trails, and the careers of the future. One of the highlights of the first day is a conversation with HE Omar Saif Ghobash (left) on the UAE’s journey to Expo 2020, and his personal journey in writing his first novel. Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor will also speak about his astounding journey and share his insights on business and life. Freej-creator, Mohammed Saeed Hareb will share his story, while Dr. Habib Al Attar and Sameera Ahmed will discuss the stigma of working in the arts.

Big names in the packed first weekend programme include the multi-talented actor Ben Miller who will talk about his latest action adventure for children; the man behind the ‘lockdown’ internet sensation #DrawWithRob, Rob Biddulph; and ‘Bake Off’ star, mental health campaigner and author Nadiya Hussain, who will share how she has managed the stresses and strains of a life transformed since winning the hit show.

Other sessions focusing on self-care, mental health and self-improvement will feature psychotherapist Sasha Bates who blends the personal and the professional as she comes to terms with the loss of her husband in The Languages of Loss: A Psychotherapist’s Journey Through Grief, and Jessica Moxham, a champion for disability rights and parenting, who will speak about what having a disabled child has taught her in The Cracks That Let the Light In. Also featured are Mathilde Loujayne and Ruzina Ahad, pioneers of a new generation of self-help books for the Muslim women of today.

Top novelists taking to the stage will include Brit Bennett (The Vanishing Half), Alka Joshi (The Henna Artist), Toshikazu Kawaguchi, who has achieved cult status with his life-affirming tales of café-based time travel in Before the Coffee Gets Cold, and Pakistani actress and model Mira Sethi talking about her first book of short stories, Are You Enjoying?  There’s also Selma Dabbagh, who will chair a panel to decipher the symbols for romance used by women writers in the Arab World, and Avni Doshi, who will speak about the process of storytelling through the senses.

Anime fans can find out where graphic novelists and animators get their ideas from, with sessions featuring Fumio Obata, Ken Arto and Fadel Saeed AlMheiri. Jessica Cerasi, curator of the 2019 Venice Biennale who will pose the question ‘Who’s Afraid of Contemporary Art?’ based on her course at the Tate Modern. Lucinda Dickens Hawskley will discuss What Makes Great Art with Myrna Ayad, former director of Art Dubai. Renowned high-end jewellery designer Azza Fahmy will recount her journey from the bustling shops of Cairo to becoming one of the most admired jewellery designers in the Arab world. 

Marina Wheeler, an Anglo-Indian with roots in what is now Pakistan, explores the story of her mother’s early years, shaped by the Partition, in The Lost Homestead. Rapahel Cormack will offer a taste of the cosmopolitan counterculture in Egypt during the inter-war years of the last century. The history strand also features paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi, who will be giving a highly entertaining talk on the history of the handshake, and Salma Serry and Daniel L Newman who will be delving back in time with unique insights gained from the history of cookbooks, in a session taking place at the Jameel Arts Centre.

Ashraf Al Ashmawi will take the audiences back to Egypt in the twentieth century in his latest novel, and he will discuss the art of writing historical fiction with Lulwah Al Mansouri and Sultan AlMousa. 

Instapoet Nikita Gill will perform her widely acclaimed one-woman show ‘Maidens, Myths and Monsters’, revisiting legendary Greek heroines through storytelling and poetry. Dubai Abulhoul and Hadil Ghoniem will discuss their favourite childhood tales and how they influence their writing today.

Hana Al Hashimi and Mona Ali Khalil will examine ‘The Future of Diplomacy after COVID-19’ and Al Arabiya news anchor Fatima Daoui will share her thoughts on how the next generation of women in media can fight for their success. There is also advice on ‘How to contribute on Wikipedia’ for budding Wiki-editors and workshops galore for all ages on a host of topics from poetry, writing and publishing to sustainability

The Festival also features art and craft workshops aplenty in Arabic and English for children of all ages in addition to a host of entertaining sessions throughout the weekend. For little ones, Polly Dunbar, author of the award-winning picture book Penguin, looks at two of life’s big questions – what being safe means and how to be calm – in Rawr! A lion is a lion. Julia Johnson and Maitha Al Khayat will explore the tradition of pearl diving through storytelling and illustration ahead of the launch of their new collaboration, Aisha’s Pear.

For pre-teens, award-winning author of the Shapeshifter series Ali Sparkes will delight with the final book in her most recent fantasy adventure – Night Forever – which reaches its heart-stopping conclusion at the top of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. Award-winning Erin Entrada Kelly is a Filipino-American writer of books including Hello Universe, The Land of Forgotten Girls, and her latest, We Dream of Space, a story of three siblings discovering that life rarely goes smoothly. YA author S. K. Ali brings to life the engaging character of Janna Yusuf, in her novel, Misfit in Love, and will be sharing her inspiration for the stories and the themes she explores at the festival.

Special events

The Festival’s first weekend wraps up with two unique events on Monday 7 February. Audiences can enjoy a three course meal and celebrate the anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birthday with an invitation to Miss Havisham’s wedding, starring special guest Lucinda Dickens Hawksley, the great-great-great granddaughter of the man himself. 

There is also a magical evening at Dubai Expo with stars of the spoken word, the incomparable Carlos Andrés Gómez and Dubai’s own Dr. Afra Atiq, accompanied musically by Nashville-based singer/songwriter Brent Shuttleworth. 

The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

HE Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, addressed the second donors’ conference of the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH).

The conference took place at the Louvre Museum in Paris yesterday under the patronage of the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, who opened the event via videoconferencing.

HE Mohamed Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Abu Dhabi and Vice-Chair of the ALIPH Foundation Board, also joined the conference virtually. A number of high profile global figures including Jean-Yves le Drian, Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, France; Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, European Commission; Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud, Minister of Culture, Saudi Arabia; Dr. Thomas S. Kaplan, Chair of the ALIPH Foundation Board; and Jack Lang, President of the Institute du Monde Arabe and Former Minister and Special Representative of the President of the French Republic for ALIPH, delivered opening speeches at the event, in the presence of ALIPH’s donors and partners.

The event also hosted representatives of ALIPH’s donors, including Katja Keul, Minister of State, Federal Foreign Office of Germany; Sarkis El-Khoury, Director-General of Antiquities, Lebanon; Selma Kassem, Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage, Bahrain; Li Qun, Administrator of the National Administration of Cultural Heritage, Representative of the Chinese Government (videoconference); Mohamed Mehdi Bensaïd, Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication (videoconference); and Salim Mohammed Al-Mahrouqi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism.

The conference aimed to adopt a new strategy for the upcoming period from 2023-2027 and reaffirm political and financial support for this initiative. The UAE committed to donate US$20 million in support of the foundation’s ongoing and future projects in the region as well as around the world up to the year 2027.

HE Noura Al Kaabi said, “The UAE is a founding member of this extraordinary initiative that funds the restoration and rehabilitation of humanity’s heritage sites in conflict zones across the world. We are very proud of ALIPH’s journey so far and hope to see even greater international mobilisation in this direction. We are committed to safeguarding and protecting the heritage in both tangible and intangible forms. Our visionary leaders have inspired us to take pride in our history and our roots and also taught us to embrace the cultures of the world. We believe that staying connected to our roots is the first step towards building a strong future. We also believe in preserving heritage for future generations in order to build a better world. In a world with growing disparities, we need to build bridges to bring people closer and celebrate diversity and pluralism.“

In her speech, Al Kaabi applauded the role of ALIPH and shed light on restoration projects undertaken by the UAE in Iraq including the ‘Revive the Spirit of Mosul’ project which the UAE is executing in partnership with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

She stressed the importance of rebuilding of heritage sites destroyed by war or acts of terrorism, for the value it holds in terms of rehabilitating the people living in those areas by means of creating job opportunities and by restoring their legacy leading to sustainable economic and social development.

The idea of a fund to restore, reconstruct and rehabilitate heritage of war-torn regions took root at a conference on heritage in danger held in Abu Dhabi in December 2016. Three months later ALIPH was born in March 2017 at the initiative of the UAE and France with the support of UNESCO. Since then, several other countries and private partners have joined the initiative and supported in the financing of nearly 150 projects in 30 countries on four continents.

At the time of its launch, Geneva-based ALIPH was supported by seven donor countries including the UAE, France, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Luxembourg, China and Morocco, along with three private donors – Dr. Thomas S. Kaplan, the Foundation Gandur pour l’Art, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

The foundation secured an amount of US$80 million at the first donors’ conference held in 2017. In the last five years, ALIPH has supported some of the greatest cultural heritage treasures of humanity, such as, the Tomb of Askia in Mali, the museums of Mosul (Iraq) and Raqqa (North-East Syria), the Minaret of Jam and the Bala Hissar Citadel (Afghanistan), as well as the Arch of Ctesiphon (Iraq). The alliance also funded the rehabilitation work on the Museum of Civilization in Côte d’Ivoire, the Sondondo Valley in Peru, Agadez in Niger, Ghadamès in Libya, Adulis in Eritrea, Ta’izz in Yemen, and also Koh Ker in Cambodia. It has been instrumental in safeguarding the interests of religious minorities in conflict zones and has proactively mobilised resources in the face of emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the port of Beirut explosions.

Featuring an iconic design, the boat’s world premiere will be held in Dubai.

Swiss based start-up THE JET ZeroEmission announced that it has inked an agreement with Zenith Marine Services LLC, a UAE based company; and DWYN LLC to manufacture and operate ‘THE JET’ – the first clean-energy, hydrogen-powered flying boat.

The announcement reflects Dubai’s leading position as a global hub for future industries. Dubai’s robust infrastructure and supportive investment environment has made it an ideal launchpad for innovative companies to reach their global ambitions.

‘THE JET’ features cutting-edge characteristics and technologies, making it capable of flying in silence over the waters at a cruising speed of 40 knots. The luxurious boat has a capacity of 8/12 passengers, and is equipped with two fuel cells and an air conditioner as well as other clean-tech, environmentally friendly technologies that help reduce carbon emissions.

Commenting on the occasion, Alain Thébault, Founder of THE JET ZeroEmission and a previously world sailing speed record holder in 2009 & electric Seabubbles prototypes inventor in 2016, said: “We are pleased to make this announcement from Dubai, and be able to manufacture and launch ‘THE JET’, which is going to be the world’s first boat to sail without noise, waves, or emissions and have the capability of flying 80cm above the waters. Dubai is an ideal destination for innovators and companies from around the world to develop their innovative projects and reach their desired success, which is why we have announced ‘THE JET’, a project that I had the privilege of conceiving with the team. We look forward to meeting with those interested in this amazing flying boat at the 28th International Climate Summit (COP28 UAE) that will be hosted in the UAE“.

The announcement is a step forward for the clean-tech industry and for the start-up itself. The start-up has also been able to secure part of the required funding of 10 million Euros.

The cooperation agreement between THE JET and UAE business partners is good news for the environment and the future of clean-energy maritime transport. ‘THE JET’s’ cutting-edge fuel cell technology will be delivered in Dubai for a historic inaugural flight, during the next COP28 UAE preparatory meetings, which will be held in November 2023.

Clean and renewable energy is a key requirement to sustainability, and stands at the forefront of Dubai and the UAE’s strategic priorities. Dubai has become an international pioneer in developing the clean and renewable energy sector. The city has also launched the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050. Under this Strategy, Dubai aims to produce 75 per cent of its energy requirements from clean sources by 2050.

The Strategy also aims to make Dubai a global centre of clean energy and green economy. It consists of five main pillars: infrastructure, legislation, funding, building capacities and skills, and environment friendly energy mix.

The charitable initiative, launched to distribute surplus food to those in need, signed a total of 30 agreements with authorities and establishments last year to facilitate the safe distribution of surplus food to beneficiaries in the emirate.

Under the directives of Her Highness Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the UAE Food Bank, the Bank announced that it has distributed more than 10 million meals to various beneficiaries in 2021.

The charitable initiative, launched to distribute surplus food to those in need, signed a total of 30 agreements with authorities and establishments last year to facilitate the safe distribution of surplus food to beneficiaries in the emirate. The Bank has also attracted several sponsorships from major establishments in the country.

Dawoud Al Hajri, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the UAE Food Bank and Director-General of Dubai Municipality, said, “The UAE Food Bank works under the directives and vision of Her Highness Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum to promote social solidarity and strengthen the values of giving, goodness and charity in the community. Over the past year, the Bank has continued to carry out its noble mission with the support of community members, which reflects the strong solidarity within the UAE society.“

Al Hajri said that the UAE Food Bank seeks to provide all citizens and residents the opportunity to contribute to the initiative as well as take part in meeting the objectives of the food security policy, which aims to reduce food wastage by benefiting from surplus food. Over the last five years, the UAE Food Bank distributed more than 37.5 million meals and signed 125 memorandums of understanding, he noted.

He explained that 32 tonnes of food parcels, which is equivalent to 32,000 meals, were donated to Senegal and Philippines in cooperation with the Emirates Red Crescent. The UAE Food Bank has also set up 104 fridges in various areas across the country to collect individual donations and facilitate access to food by people in need. A total of 1,550 tonnes of food donated to the fridges were distributed in Dubai alone.

UAE Food Bank participated in the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development (DIHAD) exhibition and conference and organised several training programmes for volunteers on food storing and packaging in accordance with standards set by the Bank. The Bank also conducted live cooking workshops for some Dubai schools and government departments virtually.

The UAE Food Bank organised 51 events and workshops in 2021 and participated in many global and humanitarian occasions, including International Day for Tolerance, World Food Day, Emirati Women’s Day, World Humanitarian Day and International Day of Charity.

In cooperation with the Friends of Cancer Patients Association, the UAE Food Bank facilitated food donations to eligible cancer patients and their families. It also carried out several community initiatives for children of determination.

Any food donated to the UAE Food Bank is stored in specific containers that are set at a particular temperature to prevent contamination. Each container has a capacity of 34,000 kilograms and is equipped with a heat cooling device and thick walls for insulation.

The food items received by the Bank are required to be within their validity period. The Food Safety Department at Dubai Municipality carries out checks to ensure the food is safe to be distributed to beneficiaries. Food that does not meet the food safety and hygiene requirements is excluded.

Food donations are delivered to the UAE Food Bank site and are then distributed to charities in dedicated vehicles to ensure the food is kept safe during transport.

The UAE Food Bank has also signed agreements with animal sacrifice apps to allow the public to make meat donations to the UAE Food Bank. In 2021, donations made through the apps to the UAE Food Bank reached more than four tonnes, which reflects the community’s increased awareness of food sustainability, Al Hajri said.

The UAE Food Bank, in cooperation with Expo 2020 Dubai, distributed more than 50,000 meals during the first three months of the global event. The move was part of the Banks efforts to promote the values of giving and charity and strengthen the principles of solidarity and unity among people visiting the event from all around the world.

The meals were distributed by teams from the UAE Food Bank and the Tarahum Charity Foundation, as well as volunteers from various government entities. During the first three months of the global event, the total number of volunteers reached 269 while the total number of donors was seven.

The exhibition will present a new body of work created for the National Pavilion UAE by Emirati artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, a veteran of the experimental art community in the UAE.

The 59th International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale in 2022 (Biennale Arte 2022) will open to the public between 23rd April – 27th November, 2022.

This exhibition marks the National Pavilion UAE’s seventh participation at the Biennale Arte, along with its move towards an artist-led approach whereby Ibrahim nominated Allison to curate the exhibition.

The 59th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia is curated by New York-based Italian curator and artistic director Cecilia Alemani under the theme “The Milk of Dreams,” which questions the representation of bodies and their metamorphoses, and the connection between bodies and earth.

HE Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, said, “Emirati artists enjoy the support of the Ministry of Culture and Youth, which  leads the cultural and creative sector in the UAE, and works to strengthen the UAE’s position on the global creative map. Our participation embodies the conducive cultural climate of the UAE that highlights diversity and enables the development of a thriving artistic scene. At the ministry, we believe in empowering our artists and creators for them to contribute to the country’s holistic and sustainable development.“

She explained that the exhibition will contribute to enriching the art movement in the UAE, showcase Emirati art to a wider cross-section of audiences and make it accessible to the world. “The UAE is an ideal platform for artists to grow and showcase their talent. We have legislations, infrastructure, equipment and advanced technologies to help them possess their art. Our participation will be an incentive for creative people to present innovative cultural and artistic works that reflect the development of our cultural sector, enhance the UAE’s positive image and keep up with its outstanding position globally.”

Curated by Maya Allison, Executive Director of The New York University Abu Dhabi Art Gallery, Between Sunrise and Sunset is an installation of human-sized, abstract and organic sculptural forms. The work draws from Ibrahim’s deep connection to the local environment of his hometown, Khor Fakkan – a city harbouring the rocky Al Hajar mountains on the east coast of the Emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.

In resonance with this theme, Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim‘s biomorphic sculptures cluster in undulating colour and movement – suggesting bodies, mutation, and metamorphosis. These forms arrive from his physical dialogue with the work materials: accretions of papier-mâché are built up over loose skeleton structures that shift and settle into their final position as he works. Often incorporating actual earth, leaves, tea, coffee, and tobacco, the texture of the forms derives from his raw materials.

Ibrahim said, “Between Sunrise and Sunset highlights the connection I have with the nature of Khor Fakkan – my hometown and the place I continue to live in. The exhibition demonstrates the tension between Khor Fakkan’s colourful bright mornings, when the sun rises over the ocean, and the disappearance of colours in mid-afternoon when the sun drops behind the mountains that loom over my hometown. We can never see the sunset in Khor Fakkan, but we can imagine it on the other side of the UAE. I am looking forward to showing my new installation, working alongside Maya Allison and the National Pavilion UAE, to represent my country in our upcoming presentation at the Venice Biennale in 2022.“

Allison, in turn, said, “Over the years, I have closely observed Ibrahim’s work process and its intense and intimate relationship with each environment he encounters, whether that be the rocky mountainous landscape of his lifelong home, or the landscapes of his residencies in Holland, France, India, and beyond. Even after almost four decades of art-making, the artist continues to evolve and deepen his practice, with a stubbornly persistent exuberance, nourished by his connection to his work and his artist community.”

Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim: Between Sunrise and Sunset marks Ibrahim and Allison’s fifth collaboration together and the third book that Allison has worked on that studies Ibrahim’s work – marking a unique collaboration for them.

In the first monograph on the artist, the exhibition’s accompanying publication, Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim: Between Sunrise and Sunset / Works: 1986-2022, is co-edited by Maya Allison and Cristiana de Marchi, artist, curator, and poet based between Dubai and Beirut, who has a long record of work with and writing on this UAE art community.

The National Pavilion UAE is commissioned by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation and supported by the Ministry of Culture and Youth, with a permanent pavilion at the Venice Biennale’s Arsenale – Sale d’Armi.