A craftsperson shows traditional weaving skills.

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

The Ministry of Culture and Youth has announced it will host the 22nd session of the Conference of Arab Culture Ministers in collaboration with the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) on December 19-20. Taking place during Expo 2020 Dubai, the conference will host 21 ministers in-charge of cultural affairs in various Arab countries, Director General of ALECSO and other key figures from the Arab world. The conference will discuss a comprehensive plan for Arab culture and its modernisation and discuss ways to keep it relevant today, while promoting cultural cooperation among Arab nations.

It will also seek to foster exchanges with other cultures around the world. The main discussions of the conference will centre on unifying Arab efforts in various cultural fields, including cooperation in the registration of intangible heritage with UNESCO, and the development of cultural and creative industries in the region. The event is also set to propose the ambassador programme to promote Arab culture. A number of topics will be focused on, most notably the Status Report and the Future of the Arabic Language, published by the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth, in partnership with the Arabic Language Advisory Council.

 Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of Culture and Youth.

Furthermore, the conference will discuss ways to develop and launch joint projects in the fields of culture, heritage and the Arabic language. The participating ministers will also join the opening ceremony of the Arabic Language Summit and Al Burda Festival and Award, which will be held in conjunction with this session. Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of Culture and Youth, said that “the Conference of Arab Culture Ministers is a very significant platform to promote Arab cultural cooperation and devise new ways to ensure its enrichment and advancement. “Hosting the conference in the UAE reflects our wise leadership’s vision to support Arab culture as the link between the peoples of this region and reaffirms the pivotal role culture plays in forging stronger ties.” Dr Mohamed Ould Amar, ALECSO’s Director General, revealed that the body had prepared extensively for this critical conference.

“The conference is very promising for our organisation and gives us great hope for the future of Arab culture,” he said. “It was planned after a lot of thought and deliberation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and by bringing together high-ranking ministers, it seeks to promote collaborative Arab activities in the fields of culture and heritage.”

He thanked the UAE for its efforts and collaboration with ALECSO from the earliest stages of preparing for the occasion and said that “the UAE will remain a key partner to ALECSO in various activities and programmes — particularly in the cultural field. “The occasion demonstrates our commitment to the development of this partnership; it emphasises the great importance the UAE attaches to culture and heritage, as well as their dedication to collaborate with all partners and stakeholders to advance them. “The UAE will continue to be a key partner for ALECSO — one that plays a significant role in its activities and programmes, particularly in the cultural field.”

The 22nd session of Conference of Arab Culture Ministers brings together government officials, policymakers, and members of international organisations. The event will also discuss the outcomes of the World Conference on Creative Economy, and draw up a five-year roadmap of joint Arab efforts to record intangible heritage with UNESCO. It is a definitive platform for those interested in Arab culture and the Arabic language and will forge conversations with Arab youth and exchange ideas, tackle challenges and discuss new opportunities. The Chair of the conference is set to be handed over from the Arab Republic of Egypt (Chair of the 21st Session), to the United Arab Emirates, which will lead the current session. The agenda includes the ratification of the theme and venue of the next session of the conference, which is expected to be hosted in Saudi Arabia.

Attendees will also participate in Al Burda Award and Festival, which features intellectuals and innovators in Islamic culture from around the world, in an effort to enhance the UAE’s position as a cultural hub and an incubator for creative arts through various dialogue sessions, art exhibitions and performances. The Conference aims to strengthen cooperation between the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth and ALECSO. ALECSO is a Tunis-based specialised institution working under the umbrella of the League of Arab States. It is essentially concerned with the development and coordination of the activities related to education, culture and sciences in the Arab World.

It was officially announced in Cairo in 1970 with the aim of promoting Arab intellectual unity through education, culture and sciences, and enhancing the educational, cultural and scientific level in the Arab World, to positively contribute to universal civilisation. The Ministry of Culture and Youth works to enrich the cultural ecosystem of the UAE by supporting the country’s cultural, art and heritage institutions. It provides a platform for artists and innovators, promotes cross-cultural dialogue, and delivers productions and experiences that represent the UAE’s rich and eclectic culture on national as well as international level.

The Ministry’s key mandates include investing in youth and empowering them and building a knowledge-based economy for a sustainable future. It is also entrusted with regulating the media sector in the UAE by formulating and implementing legislation, regulations and standards for licensing media and media activities.