'Arabian Days' Festival Draws To Successful Conclusion, Celebrating Arabic Language And Its Enduring Legacy

The second edition of the ‘Arabian Days’ festival, organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, drew to a successful conclusion on December 16, 2024. Over three days, the event captivated the audience with a rich tapestry of literary and cultural activities, performances, and engaging discussion sessions covering a range of topics related to language, literature, poetry, art, music, and cinema. The event garnered significant interest froma wide spectrum of Arabic language enthusiasts, showcasing the enduring legacy and vitality of the language.

The festival kicked off with an opening speech by His Excellency Saood Abdulaziz Al Hosani, Undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, in the presence of His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi; H.E. Mohammed Al Murr, Chairman of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library Foundation; H.E. Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre; H.E. Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, Executive Director of Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre and H.E. Huda Ibrahim Alkhamis, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, and Founder and the Artistic Director of Abu Dhabi Festival, along with audience of intellectuals, thought leaders, and media professionals.The festival featured a roster of 20 speakers, comprising prominent figures in thought, literature, and culture, alongside specialists in the Arabic language, its literature and sciences. Five enriching panel discussions delved into critical topics related to the Arabic language and its crucial relationship with AI.

Furthermore,three daily training boot camps were organisedin collaboration with CNN Arabic, covering subjects such as – ‘Mobile Journalism,’‘Artificial Intelligence in Content Production,’ and ‘Storytelling and Documenting the Moment’. The festival also featured the ‘Arabic Language and the World’ event, which offered visitors an insightful exploration of the language’s historical evolution and provided the opportunity to attend six captivating musical performances by a distinguished ensemble of Arab artists.

H.E Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, expressed his profound delight with the exceptional success of the second ‘Arabian Days’ festival, celebrating the influential role of the Arabic language in human civilisation.He stated:“The festival provided a distinguished platform for showcasing various aesthetic aspects of our Arabic language and exploring the language’s unique ability to encompass and embrace the diverse creations of human thought, from art and literature to music and theatre. The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre remains steadfast in its commitment to launching various initiatives and organising diverse events to foster a deep appreciation for this rich linguistic heritage within Arab communities, recognising its crucial role in preserving our cultural identity and ensuring its continued relevance in the rapidly evolving global context.”

The three-day festival featured the ‘Bonfire Storytelling Sessions’ with renowned Arab creators, including Professor Bilal AlOrfali, Sameh Sand, and Fatima Aqeel reviving Arab folklore and celebrating its traditions.Additionally, the ‘Arab Luminaries’ featured 42 historical and contemporary figures who have contributed to shaping the Arab civilisation such as Ibn al-Muqaffa, Sibawayh, Jabir ibn Hayyan, Fatima al-Fihria, Umm Kulthum, Tawfiq al-Hakim, Nagib Mahfouz, Zaha Hadid, and Ahmed Zewail, as well as other prominent thinkers and creators.

The festival offered a rich program encompassing a wide range of cultural, artistic, and intellectual activities. Dr. Roy Casagranda, a University Expert and Professor of Political Science at United Arab Emirates University, delivered a keynote speech on the opening day. The first day also featured two discussion sessions titled ‘Leveraging AI to Shape the Future of Arab Culture and Creativity,’ and ‘The Future of Arabic AI: From Sci-Fi to Sci-Real’.

The first session witnessed the participation of H.E. Mohammed Al Murr, Chairman of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library Foundation, and H.E. Huda Ibrahim Alkhamis, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation,Founder and the Artistic Director of Abu Dhabi Festival. It was moderated by Professor Bilal Orfali, Sheikh Zayed Professor for Arabic and Islamic Studies. Prof. Nizar Habash, Professor of Computer Science and Arabic Computational Linguistics andDr. Wajdi Zaghouani, Researcher and Academic specialising in Arabic Natural Language Processing,took part in the second session moderated by Dr. Farah Shamout, Assistant Professor of Computer Engineering at New York University Abu Dhabi.

During the first day of the event, a broad spectrum of dynamic interactive workshops was held for children, including the ‘Storytelling Workshop,’‘The Art of Japanese Calligraphy Workshop,’‘Henna Workshop,’ and ‘Minecraft Workshop,’ which continued throughout the three-day exhibition. The first day also featured ‘Origami Paper Folding’ and ‘Arabic Rhythms on the Darbuka’ workshops. The agenda of the first day also entailed a remarkable theatrical performance titled ‘Aladdin's Magical Journey to Discover Happiness,’in addition to live flute performances and screenings of selected films. The first day culminated with two captivating musicalperformances by artists Faia Younan and Aziz Maraka.

For the second day of the festival,a range of engaging workshops and activities, including the Face Painting Workshop, as well as other workshops tailored specifically for children were held. This included – ‘Designing Calligraphy Patterns on Fabric,’‘Drawing Arabic Patterns and Carving on Tiles,’ and ‘Sand Bottle Art’workshops. There was also a panel discussion titled ‘Arabic Culture and AI: From Preservation to Enrichment,’which featured a distinguished group of people, including Dr. Bashar Alhafni, AI and Natural Language Processing Researcher; Dr. Abdallah Abushmaes, Language Research and Studies Unit Head, and Nawaf Al Janahi, Film Director,this session was moderated by Dr. Hanan Aldarmaki, Assistant Professor at MBZUAI. Artists such as Marwan Khoury and Abeer Nehme delivered a special duet musical performance, which culminated the activities of the second day.

The final day of the festival featured a series of engaging workshops for children, including ‘Henna and Face Painting,’ ‘Doll Making,’‘Designing Historical Astrolabes,’ and ‘Printing Arabic Language on T-shirts and Canvas Bags’.A panel discussion, entitled ‘AI in Music: Catalyst for Creativity or Threat to Authenticity?’ was held with the participation of Dr. Mustafa Said, musician and researcher in Arabic Music, as well as Ali Al Abdan, researcher and critic in Arabic music. Rawan Al-Dabbas, MENA Regional Director at the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), moderated this panel discussion.

The activities for the final day continued with a session titled ‘Generative AI: Reimagining Storytelling and Creativity,’ which featured Dr. Sara Daher, President of the Arabic Language Academy in Lebanon; Ahmed Mourad, Author and Screenwriter; and Sameh Kaawach, the Content and Arabic Program Manager at the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation. Dr. Noura AlMazrouei, writer and Qanun Player, moderated this session. The culminating event of the third day was an artistic performance by the talented Project Fikra music band and the renowned artist Hamza Namira.

The ‘Arabian Days’ festival was a resounding success owing to the unwavering support of its partners, including – the Embassy of Japan and the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in the UAE; Kyoto Notre Dame University from Japan; the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation; Magrudy’s Bookshop; CNN Arabic; Anghami; Zayed University; NYU Abu Dhabi; and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI). The festival also received the support of the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF), Kamel Lab, Berklee Abu Dhabi, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), the American Community School of Abu Dhabi, SIGARAB, Abu Dhabi Gaming and Esports, ‘Maktaba,’ and Manarat Al Saadiyat.