(WAM) — H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, commented today on the launch of the Abu Dhabi Government Media Office’s brand, expressing his hopes for the Office to stay abreast of the latest developments in media and communications, and to engage with local and global audiences, through purposeful and dynamic content that conveys the aspirations of Abu Dhabi’s Government and people.

The mission of the Abu Dhabi Government Media Office, ADGMO, is to communicate the Abu Dhabi Government’s vision, shining a light on the latest developments as well as showcasing the Emirate’s unique values and traditions, especially through digital platforms.

H.H. Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Executive Committee and said: “The launch of ADGMO’s corporate identity reflects the Government’s keenness to keep pace with the fast-changing content creation industry. Content today should combine the government’s vision and the aspirations of our society. It should also help spread the values of Abu Dhabi, as well as its rich culture in a manner reflective of its regional and global stature.”

H.H. added: “Abu Dhabi has long recognised the importance of media and communicating with the community and the wider world and has continued to develop the media industry in both the public and private sectors. Today, we add a new dimension to enhance the capital’s media presence, which is in line with the digital age and speed of information. A dimension that meets the ambition of our wise leadership to have credible and reliable media platforms, capable of addressing the needs of the diverse society in Abu Dhabi and the UAE by providing inclusive quality content.”

Through a variety of platforms, ADGMO will produce comprehensive content documenting stories of the people of Abu Dhabi, while highlighting the Government’s efforts to achieve the highest level of excellence across all sectors.

Inspired by the Abu Dhabi Government’s logo, ADGMO’s new brand reflects these visions and goals with a modern twist. A stylised falcon is rendered in a continuous, connected line, representing a thread that brings society together, rendered in a precise manner that resembles the elegance of Arabic calligraphy. The falcon sits in the middle of a unifying circle to reflect the cohesion of the Abu Dhabi society, the consistency of ADGMO’s message and its strong ties to the Emirate’s rich heritage, a flourishing present and a promising future.

ADGMO will open new horizons for local, regional and global audiences to view Abu Dhabi with a fresh perspective. The office will act as a communication bridge that highlights the great potential and diversity which makes Abu Dhabi one of the most preferred cities for living, working and doing business in.

Maryam Eid AlMheiri, Director General of ADGMO, commented: “Over the last few decades, Abu Dhabi has achieved significant successes under the guidance of our leaders. Abu Dhabi has a solid and diversified economy and a clear plan for sustainable growth. A focus on improving the ease of doing business and supporting the private sector and entrepreneurs is nurturing local talent and attracting some of the best minds to Abu Dhabi. At the same time, being one of the safest cities in the world, Abu Dhabi is increasingly becoming the choice of families to live in.”

“We will work in line with our government’s inspiring vision and guidance, to improve the quality of the Government’s media content, which will be interactive, purposeful and dynamic to reflect the Emirate’s pulse, development and transformation.

“Locally, ADGMO will be the bridge between the government and society on all levels. It will become Abu Dhabi’s media interface with the world, sharing the stories of its people through written, spoken and visual content that best reflects its unique value system.

“We want everyone to be aware of what is going on in Abu Dhabi and to be aware of the government’s plans. We want to share the aspirations of Abu Dhabi and its community, and we will certainly learn from our experiences and collective heritage,” AlMheiri concluded.

ADGMO will host a series of workshops with other government entities in the Emirate to discuss alignment, collaboration and co-creation of fresh perspectives on the economy, entrepreneurship, liveability, education, employment, housing, research and development, transport and mobility.

ADGMO is responsible for developing the Emirate’s media strategy and government communication, in addition to endorsing media plans for government entities and media sponsorship requests in Abu Dhabi.

The Abu Dhabi Government Media Office will also be responsible for representing the government in the media, preparing and organising press conferences for the emirate, developing strategic messages, and monitoring local and international media content and public opinion trends and strive to maintain and grow the Emirate’s reputation.

Ali Al Wahshi, the Director of Al Ain Athletics Team, expressed his pride in the accomplishments of Al Ain’s champ, Ayoub Al Sheikh, and achieving a new record registered in his name in the 400-meter race winning the golden medal. “We are proud of his achievements and being able to compete with the star and big players in the junior competition of the President’s Athletics Cup held at the Police Officers Club in Dubai during Friday and Saturday 4 & 5 May 2019.”

Al Wahshi availed the opportunity to thank the Club’s Management for furnishing all the success grounds to achieve such victories and supporting the team during the competition. He added: “Al Ain Club is aiming to introduce new champs who are able to compete and win titles at the local and international levels.”

The Team Director praised the performance of the players during the competition, in addition to the efforts paid by the coaching team headed by Hussein Darraj and Izz Al Dein Mersal throughout the preparation period and achieving the desired results. “So proud of the teams’ results although we did not win the championship cup due to the lack of experience of certain young players who participate for the first time. I do hope they do their best in the future seasons and win titles.”

The Al Ain Athletics Team has a new record in the 400-meter men race of the President’s Athletics Cup and winning the gold medal of the “General Level” by scoring 48.24 seconds. The race competitions were held at the Police Officers Club in Dubai during Friday and Saturday 3 & 4 May 2019 which were dedicated for the level of men “general” and juniors.

Noteworthy, Obeid Al Nuaimi won two medals of the 5,000-metre race and 3000-meter steeplechase. Salmeen Al Shamsi was placed second in the Spear competitions winning the silver medal. He also won along with his teammates Mohammed Al Hassani, Saif Al Alawi and Hussein Haji the bronze medal of the 100-meter relay race while Saif Al Alawi won the bronze medal of the 400-meter steeplechase.

At the junior level, Badr Mohammed Al Shamsi won the golden medal of the Spear competition and Mohamed Sadeq won the golden medal of the 800-meter race in addition to winning the silver medal 1500-meter race. Also, Abdul Aziz Ibrahim, Feisal Khalid, Mohammed Al Taher and Ahmad Al Noubi won the golden medal of the 400-meter relay race. Mohamed El Taher won the silver medal of the 200-meter race.

H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, praised the content of the “Alzaman Aljameel” program, which concluded its first season yesterday on Abu Dhabi TV.

Sheikh Hazza said that it reflects the amount of beauty and originality in the Arab arts, and confirms the passion of Arab youth and its attachment to joy and life.

Culture, art and knowledge are the cultural face of peoples, which is the common memory that remains alive through generations.

(WAM) — H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, visited the First Photography Exhibition which is being held under the theme, “A World of Exchanges, Photographs 1842 – 1896: An Early Album of the World” at Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Sheikh Hazza was accompanied by Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture; Saif Saeed Ghobash, Under-Secretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi; Dr. Ali Bin Tamim, General Manager of the Abu Dhabi Media Company, and others.

The exhibition explores the development of photography in the early years of its existence, with the display of some rare images taken by travellers and sailors in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, India and the Americas.

Running until 13th July, 2019, the exhibition traces the dissemination of photography as a form of presentation and documentation, and an instrument of discovering and understanding the world and its people, through a wide selection of over 250 historic photographs taken between 1842 and 1896.

Organised by Louvre Abu Dhabi, musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac and Agence France-Muséums, and sponsored by the Bank of Sharjah, the exhibition includes some of the earliest photographs produced outside of Europe.

The works on display include exceptional loans from musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Bibliothèque nationale de France, musée national des arts asiatiques – Guimet, l’Etablissement public du Musée d’Orsay, la Société de Géographie and La Cité de la Céramique – Sèvres & Limoges.

The exhibition is curated by Christine Barthe, Head of the Photographic Collections Heritage Unit at the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac.

On the occasion of winning the title of the UAE General Volleyball League, Al Ain Sports Games Company celebrated the achievement on Thursday 25th April 2019 following the end of the team’s training session at indoor court of Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain Club.

The celebration was attended by H.E. Abdullah Jumaa Al Darmaki, Vice-Chairman of Al Ain Sports Games Company and Supervisor of the Volleyball Team, H.E. Saleh Al Shouaili, Board Member, Ahmad Sultan Al Nuaimi, Sports Director of Al Ain Sports Games Company, Mohmmed Al Arabi, Director of Individual Games, the coaching team, the administrative staff, team players and the company staff.

(WAM) — H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, has honoured the winners of the 13th edition of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

Among those who were honoured by H.H. Sheikh Hazza were Moroccan writer and novelist Bensalem Himmich, who won the ‘Literature’ category award; Kuwaiti author Hussain Almutawaa, who won the ‘Children’s Literature’ category; and Algerian scholar Dr. Abderrezak Belagrouz, winner of the ‘Young Author’ category. In the ‘Literary and Art Criticism’ category, scholar Dr. Charbel Dagher from Lebanon won the award for his book Contemporary Arabic Poetry. The ‘Arab Culture in Other Languages’ category was won by British academic and researcher Philip F. Kennedy, while the UAE’s Arab Centre for Geographic Literature – Irtiyad al-Afaq won the ‘Publishing and Technology’ category award. Arabic scholars Professor Jaroslav Stetkevych and Professor Suzanne Stetkevych won the ‘Cultural Personality of the Year’ category.

The ceremony, which was held today at Louvre Abu Dhabi, saw the attendance of H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Department of Transport; Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award Board of Trustees; Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and Member of Board of Trustees of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award; Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary of DCT Abu Dhabi; Dr. Ali Bin Tamim, Secretary General of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, as well as other ministers, intellectuals and important cultural figures.

“From Louvre Abu Dhabi, we honour a group of leading figures from the worlds of both literature and culture,” said Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi. “We are honoured to congratulate this creative group of thinkers and researchers who have been awarded this year’s awards.

“We always strive to honour important literary, cultural and intellectual symbols in order to build a knowledge-based economy. Our founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, considered it an essential pillar in order to guarantee the nation a bright future. Ever since its first foundations were established, these awards have flourished,” he said.

Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Secretary General of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, said: “These awards reflect values of tolerance. They celebrate human heritage and maximise convergence between individuals and communities and raises questions that seek to create unity in pluralism.

“The UAE does not simply mention tolerance as a slogan but instead transforms it into a cultural product and a social practice, capable of coping with the transformations we experience in our lives.”

The Secretary General noted that the respective literature of both Jaroslav and Suzanne Stetkevych emanates from a spirit of academic research characterised by tolerance. He said Bensalem Himmich’s writing encompasses a deep cultural dialogue with the past, present and self, and the writings of Philip F. Kennedy pay homage to Arab culture and open dialogue. He said Dr. Charbel Dagher uses poetic text to highlight his presence without fanaticism of form or type, while the stories of Hussain Almutawaa creates an imaginary world for children inspired the construction movement and Dr. Abderrezak Belagrouz’s writing focuses on the importance of values and their positive role.

“The Sheikh Zayed Book Award continues its successful trajectory and confirms its well-deserved position as the most important of its kind in the Arab world,” said Abdulla Majid Al Ali, Member of Board of Trustees and Acting Executive Director of the Dar Al Kutub Sector, DCT Abu Dhabi .

“Today, a distinguished range of researchers and innovators honour us with their presence and we celebrate their values and what they represent. We express our gratitude to the winners of this prestigious honour and I would like to thank the awards committee who contributed to the success of this year’s edition.”

In her speech, Prof. Suzanne Stetkevych expressed her appreciation for the Sheikh Zayed Award and its sponsors, which are an extension of the visions of the late Sheikh Zayed towards human progress, tolerance and co-existence, and for the support and encouragement of Arab creativity and its accompanying criticism, translation and publication.

Following are the awardees: -Sheikh Zayed Book Award for Literature Bensalem Himmich is an intellectual and author, and the former Minister of Culture for Morocco. He attained his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Paris. Writing in both Arabic and French, some of his novels have been translated into several other languages. The Writers’ Union of Egypt chose Himmich’s novel Majnoun Al Hukm as one of the 100 best novels of the twentieth century, and another novel, Mu’athibati, was shortlisted for the Arab Booker International Award. Himmich has spoken at several Arab, European and American forums, and received the grand award of the French Academy of Toulouse in 2011.

-Sheikh Zayed Book Award for Children’s Literature A Kuwaiti writer and photographer born in 1989, Hussain Almutawaa attained a bachelor’s degree in Literature and Criticism from the College of Arabic Language at the University of Kuwait, minoring in Philosophy. He started his literary career as a poet in 2009, and has participated in many poetry events and festivals. In 2015, he began writing short stories and won first place in the ‘University Poet and Story Teller’ category at the University of Kuwait. Almutawaa then moved on to novels, publishing his first, Turab, at the end of 2017, and his children’s novel, I Dream of Becoming A Cement Mixer, in 2018.

-Sheikh Zayed Book Award for Young Author An Algerian scholar holding a PhD in the Science and Philosophy of Values and Knowledge, Dr. Abderrezak Belagrouz is a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at Staif-2 University in Algeria. He is also an expert judge and member of the scientific committee of the Algerian Society of Philosophical Studies. He has authored several books, including Transformations of Modern Philosophical Thinking: Questions on Concept, Meaning and Connection, published by Al Maaref Forum, Beirut in 2018 and For Knowledge: Honest Discussion with Self and Books, published by Al Watan Publications, Algeria in 2017.

-Sheikh Zayed Book Award for Literary and Art Criticism Dr. Charbel Dagher is a Lebanese scholar and a Professor at the University of Balamand holding two PhDs, in Modern Arabic Literature and Art History and Philosophy. He has written over sixty books in both Arabic and French, including Arabic and Urbanism: the Relationship between Revolution, Culturalism and Modernity, published by Dar Al Nahar and University of Balamand in 2009, and Modern Arabic Poetry: The Prose Poem, published by Al Maaref Forum in 2018.

-Sheikh Zayed Book Award for Arabic Culture in Other Languages Philip F. Kennedy is an American academic and researcher specialising in Middle Eastern and Islamic studies. He holds a PhD in Classic Arabic Poetry and a Masters in Middle East Studies. He is currently working on a book called Islamic Projections, a study of narrative knowledge focusing on the Medieval Period.

-Sheikh Zayed Book Award for Publishing and Technology The Arab Centre for Geographic Literature – Irtiyad Al-Afaq is an Emirati cultural initiative established by Emirati poet and author Mohammad bin Ahmad Al Suwaidi under the umbrella of one of his other projects, the Al Suwaidi Cultural House, which has published a large number of accounts of old and modern Arab voyages in over sixty books. The Arab Centre for Geographic Literature annually bestows the Ibn Battuta Geographic Literature Award for best publications in travel narratives and criticism. Among the Centre’s achievements is the compiling of a comprehensive bibliography containing every achievement in the verification, criticism and creation of written voyages.

-Sheikh Zayed Book Award for Cultural Personality of the Year The Stetkevyches Professor Jaroslav Stetkevych is Professor Emeritus of Arabic Literature at the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilisations at the University of Chicago and a Research Associate in the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Georgetown University, Washington D.C. He received his PhD in Arabic Literature from Harvard University in 1962. His seminal works include The Zephyrs of Najd: The Poetics of Nostalgia in The Classical Arabic Nasib, which details the development of the literary Arabic language, as well as focuses on poetry in Arabic music.

-Professor Suzanne Stetkevych is the Chair of the Department of Arabic & Islamic Studies at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. She is the Executive Editor of Brill Studies in Middle East Literatures, and sits on the board of the Journal of Arabic Literature. She obtained a PhD from the University of Chicago in 1981, and is known for her important works on Arabic classical poetry from the pre-Islamic era to the neo-classical periods, which have been published in both English and Arabic. She has written several books, including Abu Tammam and the Poetics of the Abbasid Age.

(WAM) — H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, has said that Bett Middle East and Africa 2019 conference and exhibition hosted by Abu Dhabi in cooperation with Microsoft is one of the very important events that enrich the educational field.

In his remarks, Sheikh Hazaa said that the event, which began yesterday, is one of the most important international platforms that seriously discuss the present and future of education and proposes advanced technical solutions that will make a difference in the educational process in the UAE and the region.

The two-day event brings together education leaders, practitioners and industry experts from throughout the region and across the globe. Their presence of great importance in sharing high-level knowledge and ideas to work towards a common goal of internationalising education practices and ultimately improving student outcome. It addressed the latest trends, challenges and opportunities for education and discover the innovation to fuel their vision.

Al Ain U-10 Jiu-Jitsu Team won 29 coloured medals at the Abu Dhabi World Youth Jiu-Jitsu Championship kicked off at the indoor court of IPIC Arena in Zayed Sports City in the first day of the competition that will be concluded by 26th April 2019. The Boss young team won 9 gold medals, 5 silver and 15 bronze medals.

Meanwhile, the junior female team of Al Ain won 18 medals in the second day of the tournament: 3 gold medals, 7 silver and 8 bronze medals.

Al Ain Jujitsu player, Nouf Al Bloushi expressed her great pleasure on winning the 63kg gold medal. She dedicated this great achievement to the beloved homeland and Al Ain Club for all the support she received during this championship that she will never forget.

(WAM) — H.H. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court, attended the closing ceremony of the 17th Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award 2018-2019, which was held today at the Emirates Palace Hotel, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

The award, which was organised by the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, honoured 19 companies and institutions.

The ceremony was attended by Saeed Abduljalil Al Faheem, Chairman of the Award’s Supreme Committee; Ibrahim Al Mahmoud, First Deputy Chairman of the Chamber; and Mohammed Hilal Al Muhairi, Director-General of the Chamber, along with members of the chamber and the award’s Supreme Committee, senior officials, department under-secretaries, ambassadors of friendly countries, and representatives of private sector companies.

Saeed Abduljalil Al Faheem, Chairman of the Award’s Supreme Committee, said that the award, which celebrates distinguished people and innovators, has seen yearly success and is attaining a leading position on global indexes.

Stating that the award has contributed to the country’s social development, he quoted President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who said, “We are focussing on social development, in terms of education and training, as well as on guiding relevant departments and building the capacities of the country to develop efficient people who can become the cornerstones of national development.”