UAE generations raised with love for Palestine: Jawaher
- Last updated: October 9, 2025 | 11:52
Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, and Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Sharjah Family and Community Affairs Authority, attended on Wednesday the sessions of the first edition of the Global Children and Youth Film Congress held as part of the Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth at House of Wisdom.
Sheikha Jawaher said the main session addressed the Palestinian cause, which remains deeply rooted in the UAE’s conscience, particularly in Sharjah.
She emphasised that generations in the UAE have been raised with a steadfast love for Palestine that can never be erased.
She warned against misleading narratives on modern platforms attempting to distort facts and influence young minds, calling on Arabs to uphold the truth and express solidarity with Palestine.
She urged media professionals to continue advocating accuracy and integrity, using their platforms to strengthen Palestine’s presence in public consciousness while ensuring children are protected from content that contradicts Islamic and cultural values.
She also highlighted the dangers of content promoting destructive behaviour through films and electronic games and urged Emirati society to protect its children from such influences.
The opening ceremony featured a short film showcasing highlights from the 12th edition of the festival, which screened 74 films selected from 1,740 submissions across 26 countries.
Sheikha Jawaher Bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, Director-General of Rubu’ Qarn Foundation and the festival’s Director, said the event reflects the vision of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and the support of Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi to empower youth through creativity.
Since 2013, the festival has attracted more than 234,000 visitors and screened over 12,000 films from 95 countries, including more than 250 created by children and youth.
She added that the new congress discusses three main themes: amplifying the voices of Palestinian children through cinema, the role of youth in shaping the future of filmmaking, and how festivals influence Arab and global cinema.
During the panel “Amplifying the Voices of Palestinian Children Through Cinema,” Sheikha Jawaher said the festival transforms children from passive viewers into storytellers, providing them with technical skills in filmmaking and helping them tell their own stories.
She stressed that Palestinian children have the right to share their narratives as living witnesses to history.
Ferdous Bulbulia, Director of the Nelson Mandela Film Festival, and Mohammed Keblawi, Founder and CEO of the Malmö Arab Film Festival, both highlighted cinema’s power to convey truth and connect audiences emotionally to humanitarian causes, with Keblawi noting that Palestinian cinema has always been central to his festival’s programme.
In the second session, “The Role and Impact of Children and Youth in Filmmaking and Shaping Its Future,” Abdulla Bin Mohammed Bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman of the National Media Office and Chairman of UAE Media Council, spoke about children’s cinema and the leadership’s support for the industry.
He explained that governments are attracting major production companies to strengthen the film sector, though one of the biggest challenges remains unifying all stakeholders under one umbrella, given the fragmented entities and the high costs involved, which require patience to yield results.
He discussed the importance of engaging youth in the film sector, noting that cinema is primarily an economic industry. With artificial intelligence now reducing costs and boosting film production, he reflected on classic animated shows like Adnan wa Lina (Future Boy Conan) that left a lasting mark, calling on filmmakers to study their success and apply similar principles to modern content.
He also revealed that new government strategies will give priority to local films in cinemas, as part of ongoing efforts to support Emirati productions, which he described as among the strongest in the region.
WAM