- News - Abdullah bin Zayed: Arabs Are Coming Together Culturally; Moving ...

The Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation honored Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (the Mother of the Nation) on the occasion of awarding her the Cultural and Scientific Achievement Award, which was received on her behalf by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, at the awards ceremony held yesterday evening at the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation in Dubai.
The awards ceremony was attended by His Excellency Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Foundation; members of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation, and numerous ambassadors, consuls, and UAE and Arab cultural figures.

Abdullah bin Zayed: UAE is Proud of its Children

In his remarks at the end of the ceremony, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed said: "I would like to thank everyone responsible for this prize, but first and foremost, we must remember its founder. The man who not only served culture and literature, but also charitable causes - and not only in the UAE but around the world; we in the UAE are proud of this son of ours, Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais. And as delighted as we are with this award, we are, without a doubt, even more delighted with Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais himself who represents a role model that makes this nation proud. There is no doubt that charitable work and honoring people is nothing new to this country. We in the UAE have not only been able to forge a successful model of stability, development and prosperity, but we have been also able to communicate this model to others. This, of course, means that we, my generation and future generations, have a considerable challenge before us. But we always remember the founder of this country, Sheikh Zayed (may he rest in peace), and UAE President Sheikh Khalifa, who did their best for the people of this country. I believe that Sheikh Zayed's model lives on in the heart and conscience of every Emirati. And perhaps His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi was much better than I at expressing this in his speech after being honored by the Sheikh Zayed Book Award when he said: "All eyes on the stage and before the screen recalled Sheikh Zayed."
Sheikh Ahmed added: "My mother honored me by asking me to receive this award on her behalf. It is firstly a great honor for me and, I believe, a great honor for all of this nation's children. She insisted that I call her upon receipt of this award; she spoke to me and to Dr. Anwar Gargash. She was more touched by the documentary "The Mother of the UAE" than by receiving the award. It was profoundly moving as it brought back memories, and some recollections of this country, its sons and its daughters. The UAE has become a shining example of women's advancement in the workplace, and in women's fair and honorable competition with their brothers at school, at university and finally, at the workplace. This enhances this country's successes and raises the social status of women."
Sheikh Ahmed concluded his statement by saying that: "Working in the cultural field is easier than working in the political field. The problem is that much time and much accumulation is needed. And since we live in the era of speed, I do not know whether we will have enough patience to wait for this accumulation to occur. But there is no doubt that if you examine the question of the points of convergence and divergence between Arab countries, it will be obvious that Arabs have come together culturally and moved apart politically."

Gargash: An Award With a Special Flavor

For his part, Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash commented: "Her Highness Sheikha Fatima thanked the Board of Trustees, and she was fully aware of the importance of this award. She also said that when the award comes from your own people, it takes on a special flavor. She said that social prominence was not something she aspired to; rather she was driven by faith and dedication in supporting women's efforts and confirming the key role women play in the renaissance of a nation. She added that that was always her goal, that she will continue to move towards this objective, and that this award is a tribute to her work and an award she is proud of and thankful for."

Events of the Ceremony

Before the ceremony guests visited the permanent exhibition of award winners, and viewed the recently added artist's impressions of the new award recipients.
The ceremony began with the UAE national anthem; this was followed by the address delivered by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, His Excellency Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash, on behalf of the Foundation. A documentary about the Foundation was presented, after which Dr. Jalal Ameen delivered a word on behalf of the award recipients, critic Dr. Abdul Aziz Al Sabeel the jury's report, and then Dr Fatima Al Sayegh Board delivered a speech on behalf of the Board of Trustees. This was followed by a documentary covering the achievements of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima was shown. The first part of the ceremony was concluded with the award recipients being honored by the Board of Trustees.

The Poetry Award was awarded to Yemeni poet Abdel Aziz al-Maqaleh and was received on his behalf by Dr. Omar Abdel Aziz; the Short Story, Novel and Drama award was awarded to Algerian novelist Al Taher Wattar and was received on his behalf by his nephew Sami bin Karni; critic Abdel Salam Masdi received the Literary Studies and Criticism Award; and scholar Jalal Ameen received the Humanitarian and Futuristic Studies Award. The award includes a certificate of appreciation, a gold medal, a crystal shield, a national scarf, and US$120,000 for each winner in each category.
The ceremony was concluded with a concert by the ensemble Al Takht Al Arabi conducted by maestro Dr. Yasser Moawad which won the admiration of the audiences.