Awards and Exhibitions to Renew the cultural Spring in the Gulf

Awards of literary, arts and sciences are flourishing in GCC, Also book fairs and modern industries are increasing, and this is in harmony with the constructional, industrial and financial growth which must go with human development.

Al Owais awards were distributed yesterday evening in Dubai, and Abu Dhabi celebrated the day before yesterday giving away the 2^nd Sheikh Zayed Book Award, two days before, the 1^st International Award for Arabic Fiction (Arabic Booker) was distributed in Abu Dhabi. Last Sunday, King Faisal International Award for Serving Islam was announced in Riyadh in the fields: service to Islam, Islamic studies, Arabic literature, medicine and science. And "Two Holy Mosques International Award for Translation" was launched in Saudi Arabia to be granted for translations from and into Arabic.

Riyadh Book Fair coincided with Abu Dhabi Book Fair with only a few days between the two fairs, the thing that caused pressure on the Arabic and foreign publishing houses, especially that both fairs have witnessed huge crowds of locals and other Arab and foreign expatriates, and it was noticed that women, more than men, wanted to acquire the new editions, which meant that they are better readers than men.

It's the Knowledge spring in the GCC flourishing every year with developing activities, especially in the field of cooperation with international organizations (Frankfurt Book Fair participated this year in organizing Abu Dhabi Book Fair), and in promoting the intercourse between the Gulf educated people and their peers from other Arab countries, while they participate in reading the texts nominated to win the awards and they cooperate in seminars and presenting proposals for translation and researches.

At the night of Abu Dhabi, there was an example of the Arabic cultural intercourse in its most brilliant images. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister in UAE, hands over Sheikh Zayed Book Award. On the platform, stood Moroccan educated and politician Muhammad Bin Esa, Iraqi architect Rifah Al Jadirji, Libyan novelist Ibrahim Al Kawni, Jordanian academician Fayez Al Sabbagh, Moroccan researcher Muhammad Sa'di, Emirate researcher Jamal Al Suwaidi and Palestinian writer Huda Shawa. Each received US$ 200000, and got his name dedicated in a guiding list for readers and knowledge seekers in the Arab World.

If the spring of the nature leads to another spring, then the knowledge spring continues, or at least, this is what the cultural organizations practicing in The Gulf area hope.

Muhammad Ali Farhat

Al Hayat newspaper, 14 March, 2008