Benedetta Paravia poses with her book ‘Hi Dubai and Hi Emirates’.

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

Dubai-based prominent Italian author and personality Benedetta Paravia has unveiled her first pictorial book in a ceremony held in Abu Dhabi. The book is story of happenings backstage while featuring 50 women for her two TV series, Hi Dubai and Hi Emirates. Benedetta Paravia, the Italian philanthropist, author, presenter and producer has feature over 50 women in her two TV series and complied a book to narrated the backstage story and unveil in a ceremony held at the Italian Cultural Institute (Istituto Italiano Di Cultura), Abu Dhabi and attended by a number of dignitaries from different segments of the society. 

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Addressing the ceremony, she said “my second TV series ‘Hi Emirates’ featuring 25 Emirati women has been completed and already on-air on Dubai One TV channel and soon it will be part of Emirates Airline’s entertaining network. The series is incorporated numerous Emirati women to highlight their contribution to the UAE and this is my part of giving back to the local community.”The series, conceived by Benedetta Paravia in 2017 — Emirati year “of generosity” — was subsequently produced, from 2018 to 2020, to show the pluralist spirit of a country that offers dignity and respect to a diverse and multicultural population, underlining the role of women in an authentic Islamic nation. The author and producer Paravia presents the hospitality, generosity and inclusiveness of a country, such as the UAE, which is shaping the way for a more cohesive and harmonious society, enhancing the role of women. Paravia invites you to visit and live in the UAE through the eyes of its winning and heterogeneous protagonists who look to the future with optimism.

“This year on the occasion of the Expo and the celebrations of the 50 years of the United Arab Emirates, the book is framed as a real tribute of Italy to the friendly country,” she said. She also praised the contribution of the Italian Ambassador Nicola Lener and the Director of the Italian Cultural Institute of Abu Dhabi Ida Zilio Grandi and with the auspices of the Embassy of Italy in the UAE and the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth.  The series were produced by the company Finservice FZ LLC and obtained nearly 1 million viewers per episode on Dubai One TV and are now visible on all Emirates Airlines flights. She is residing in the UAE since 2002 and met Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi in 2004 and discussed the idea of making a television series as documentary on Emirati women from different segments of the society and highlight their struggles in the making of UAE society. “Without the enormous support and confidence on me by Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, I couldn’t complete any of these TV series as she was the first person who blindly put her confidence on me to extend full support,” she said.

Talking to the Gulf Today, Benedetta Paravia said that she has been receiving tremendous response around the world especially in the Middle East and soon she is working on similar project in Saudi Arabia.

The pictorial book is a backstage story of activities while featuring the 50 women for her two TV series. “During the work for featuring Emirati women and expat women for my two TV series — Hi Dubai and Hi Emirates — I was introduced many wonderful women and most of them are became friends and a lot of things happened. This book is a written record of all such beautiful happenings,” she said. “The second series is highlighted the struggles of mothers of the nations from the past as many from the young generation are unaware of their sacrifices and in the shaping of the UAE society. The latest series, Hi Emirates, is a great contribution and featuring the past women for young generation and generations coming after,” she said.

“The purpose of the TV series to educate people especially in the Europe and other parts about the Arab women as the time is changing due to the leadership and the contribution in every field by women,” she said.