The Emirates Aviation Literary Festival is underway. Kicking off his 15th event on Wednesday, a series of new collaborations were announced.
Vice President and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid tweeted on Wednesday about the importance of the event.
“Today the Emirates Festival of Literature concludes 15 years of celebration of creativity, culture and books,” he posted in Arabic. Because they reflect the depth of humanity in our society. Culture is the proof of civilization.”
New partnerships announced include collaborations with Mohammed bin Rashid Library, Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center and Expocity Dubai through the festival’s parent organization, the Emirates Foundation for Literature.
Organizers said partnering with the library would give the festival scope to host a broader program while welcoming a wider audience. It also aims to help position the festival as a platform not just for literature, but for the arts, culture and lifestyle of the entire region.
The foundation, often abbreviated as Elf, also announced the launch of Elf in Space to develop interactive and educational programs in collaboration with the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center. Elf in Space aims to create engaging dialogue between children and Emirati astronaut Sultan Alneyadi on his six-month journey on the International Space Station.
It also announced a nine-month partnership with Expo City Dubai, culminating in November when the UAE hosted Cop28. After President Sheikh Mohammed declared 2023 his ‘Year of Sustainability’, the Foundation and ExpoCity Dubai will focus on sustainability, the environment and gender equality, among other themes derived from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We will work on programs centered on reducing equality.
Isobel Ablehall, Chief Executive Officer and Trustee of the Emirates Literature Foundation, said:
The festival program includes numerous sessions on sustainability. It includes a discussion by UAE Minister for Climate Change and Environment, Mariam Al-Meiri.Paul Polman, co-author Net Positive: Brave companies thrive by giving more than they get. Maj. Ali Al Suwaidi, President of Emirates Marine Environmental Group. Environmental journalist Anna Turns.
Part of the joint program with Expo City Dubai also includes the neighboring Connecting Minds Book Club. Curated by the festival, it hosts talks and invites people to reflect, challenge and act on sustainability through a variety of means.
“The Book Club theme really resonates with this year’s festival theme,” said Nadia Verjee, Executive Director of Expo Dubai Group. The National.
“We will join forces with the festival to bring different voices to the table to talk about sustainability, dissect it more broadly, make it more interesting and help people understand what the UAE means in the year of sustainability. I’ve identified a way to make it understandable.”
Verjee said collaboration is an important way to share knowledge and welcome large numbers of people from different cultural backgrounds through literature.
“Books are absolutely important,” she adds.
“Expo 2020 is an exchange of information, and it actually turns into knowledge. And once you have that knowledge, what do you do with it? It gives us the power to make the right choices about
The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature runs through 6 February at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City and Mohammed Bin Rashid Library. Details and tickets are available at www.emirateslitfest.com
Updated: Feb 1, 2023, 3:27 PM