عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Culture

Culture Ministry Announces Cultural, Knowledge Programs for UAE Reading Month 2025

The programs will feature diverse array of cultural and knowledge-based activities. WAM
The programs will feature diverse array of cultural and knowledge-based activities. WAM
TT
TT

Culture Ministry Announces Cultural, Knowledge Programs for UAE Reading Month 2025

The programs will feature diverse array of cultural and knowledge-based activities. WAM
The programs will feature diverse array of cultural and knowledge-based activities. WAM

The Ministry of Culture announced that key entities across the UAE will organize a diverse range of cultural and knowledge programs during the UAE Reading Month in March 2025.

The initiative aligns with the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to enhance reading habits and individuals' skills, the Emirates News Agecny (WAM) reported.

The initiative reflects the UAE’s long-term vision and the wise leadership's commitment to fostering a culture rooted in science and knowledge, facilitating the necessary infrastructure and environment to create an advanced knowledge-based society, WAM said Wednesday.

The announcement was made during a press conference held at Al Safa Art and Design Library in Dubai, in the presence of Mubarak Al Nakhi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Shatha Al Mulla, Acting Assistant Undersecretary of National Identity and Arts Sector in the Ministry of Culture, Dr. Saeed Mubarak bin Kharbash, Chief Executive Officer of the Arts and Literature Sector at Dubai Culture, Dr. Amal Al Qahtani, Director of School Development and Support Department at the Ministry of Education, Khoula Al Mujaini, General Coordinator of Sharjah Book Authority, Asmaa Al Mutawat, Founder and President of Salon Al-Multaqa, and Shaikha Al-Mutairi, Secretary General of the Emirates Writers Union.

The programs will feature diverse array of cultural and knowledge-based activities organized by various ministries, local entities, and public interest associations. Their primary objective is to cultivate reading habits by emphasizing the role of reading in driving sustainable development and enhancing cultural awareness.

“The UAE Reading Month initiative reflects the nation’s long-standing vision to create a highly educated, well-informed society and drive sustainable development. It also signifies the country’s commitment to enhancing cultural awareness among its people,” said Mubarak Al Nakhi.

“The activities organized as part of Reading Month initiative highlight the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to position reading as a pivotal instrument for culture and knowledge development. It further aligns with the ambitious ‘UAE Centennial 2071’ plan, which aims to elevate the UAE’s position as a global hub for innovation and culture by leveraging reading as a key enabler of this vision.”

He added that “reading Month is a significant intellectual and cultural milestone, and serves as a far-reaching strategic initiative aimed at raising awareness of the role of reading in personal growth and community development.”

Reading Month 2025 will feature a diverse range of activities and events hosted at the Ministry’s Cultural and Creative Centers across the Emirates. These events will include the launch of multiple initiatives by local cultural entities and institutions aimed at fostering a reading culture among all members of society.

Most Viewed

 
 
Culture

Culture Being Strangled by Kosovo's Political Crisis

The cinema has been waiting for much-needed repairs for years. Armend NIMANI / AFP
The cinema has been waiting for much-needed repairs for years. Armend NIMANI / AFP
TT
TT

Culture Being Strangled by Kosovo's Political Crisis

The cinema has been waiting for much-needed repairs for years. Armend NIMANI / AFP
The cinema has been waiting for much-needed repairs for years. Armend NIMANI / AFP

Kosovo's oldest cinema has been dark and silent for years as the famous theater slowly disintegrates under a leaky roof.

Signs warn passers-by in the historic city of Prizren that parts of the Lumbardhi's crumbling facade could fall while it waits for its long-promised refurbishment.

"The city deserves to have the cinema renovated and preserved. Only junkies gathering there benefit from it now," nextdoor neighbor butcher Arsim Futko, 62, told AFP.

For seven years, it waited for a European Union-funded revamp, only for the money to be suddenly withdrawn with little explanation.

Now it awaits similar repairs promised by the national government that has since been paralyzed by inconclusive elections in February.

And it is anyone's guess whether the new government that will come out of Sunday's snap election will keep the promise.

'Collateral damage'

Cinema director Ares Shporta said the cinema has become "collateral damage" in a broader geopolitical game after the EU hit his country with sanctions in 2023.

The delayed repairs "affected our morale, it affected our lives, it affected the trust of the community in us," Shporta said.

Brussels slapped Kosovo with sanctions over heightened tensions between the government and the ethnic Serb minority that live in parts of the country as Pristina pushed to exert more control over areas still tightly linked to Belgrade.

Cultural institutions have been among the hardest-hit sectors, as international funding dried up and local decisions were stalled by the parliamentary crisis.

According to an analysis by the Kosovo think tank, the GAP Institute for Advanced Studies, sanctions have resulted in around 613 million euros ($719 million) being suspended or paused, with the cultural sector taking a hit of 15-million-euro hit.

'Ground zero'

With political stalemate threatening to drag on into another year, there are warnings that further funding from abroad could also be in jeopardy.

Since February's election when outgoing premier Albin Kurti topped the polls but failed to win a majority, his caretaker government has been deadlocked with opposition lawmakers.

Months of delays, spent mostly without a parliament, meant little legislative work could be done.

Ahead of the snap election on Sunday, the government said that more than 200 million euros ($235 million) will be lost forever due to a failure to ratify international agreements.

Once the top beneficiary of the EU Growth Plan in the Balkans, Europe's youngest country now trails most of its neighburs, the NGO Group for Legal and Political Studies' executive director Njomza Arifi told AFP.

"While some of the countries in the region have already received the second tranches, Kosovo still remains at ground zero."

Although there have been some enthusiastic signs of easing a half of EU sanctions by January, Kurti's continued push against Serbian institutions and influence in the country's north continues to draw criticism from both Washington and Brussels.

'On the edge'

Across the river from the Lumbardhi, the funding cuts have also been felt at Dokufest, a documentary and short film festival that draws people to the region.

"The festival has had to make staff cuts. Unfortunately, there is a risk of further cuts if things don't change," Dokufest artistic director Veton Nurkollari said.

"Fortunately, we don't depend on just one source because we could end up in a situation where, when the tap is turned off, everything is turned off."

He said that many in the cultural sector were desperate for the upcoming government to get the sanctions lifted by ratification of the agreements that would allow EU funds to flow again.

"Kosovo is the only one left on the edge and without these funds."

Culture

Saudi Culture Ministry Concludes Intangible Cultural Heritage Documentation Project in Al-Ahsa

Saudi Culture Ministry Concludes Intangible Cultural Heritage Documentation Project in Al-Ahsa
TT
TT

Saudi Culture Ministry Concludes Intangible Cultural Heritage Documentation Project in Al-Ahsa

Saudi Culture Ministry Concludes Intangible Cultural Heritage Documentation Project in Al-Ahsa

The Saudi Ministry of Culture concluded the project to survey, document, and archive intangible cultural heritage in Al-Ahsa Governorate by holding a workshop in the governorate, attended by stakeholders and relevant entities, as part of the ministry’s efforts to preserve national cultural heritage and strengthen Saudi cultural identity, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Thursday.

The project included a field survey covering various cities and villages across Al-Ahsa, during which diverse elements of intangible cultural heritage were identified and documented. These included oral traditions, performing arts, skills associated with traditional cultural crafts, social practices, and knowledge related to nature and the local environment.

The work was carried out in cooperation with concerned entities, specialized experts, and local practitioners.

The workshop reviewed the project’s final outcomes and presented reports on documentation and digital archiving activities.

It discussed mechanisms to ensure the sustainability of these efforts and the transmission of this cultural legacy to future generations, contributing to greater community awareness of the value and importance of intangible cultural heritage.

Culture

Hail Region Pavilion Showcases Heritage Artifacts at Camel Festival

The pavilion aims to connect visitors to Hail's history and social legacy - SPA
The pavilion aims to connect visitors to Hail's history and social legacy - SPA
TT
TT

Hail Region Pavilion Showcases Heritage Artifacts at Camel Festival

The pavilion aims to connect visitors to Hail's history and social legacy - SPA
The pavilion aims to connect visitors to Hail's history and social legacy - SPA

Hail Region pavilion at the Ministry of Interior’s Security Oasis exhibition, part of the 10th King Abdulaziz Camel Festival in Al-Sayahid, features heritage artifacts that reflect the region's renowned hospitality.

The display includes ancient trays and copperware from nearly seventy years ago.

According to SPA, these traditional food preparation and serving vessels have garnered significant interest from visitors. They document daily life in old Hail and its deep-rooted social traditions, particularly in gatherings and special occasions.

The pavilion aims to connect visitors to Hail's history and social legacy, fostering appreciation for national heritage and ensuring cultural preservation for future generations.