UAE | Tourism
Floating book fair docks in attempt to nurture 'cultural understanding'
The world's oldest active ocean-going passenger ship docked at Abu Dhabi's Free Port yesterday morning.
- By Rania Habib, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 January 22, 2006
- Port of Registry: Valletta, Malta
- Built: 1914, Newsport News, USA
- Cruising Speed: 10 knots
- Length: 130.35m
- Breadth: 16.60m
- Recognised by the Guinness Book of World Record's as the oldest active ocean-going passenger ship
- The ship has sailed under four distinct names with four different purposes: Medina (freighting goods), Roma (transporting emigrants), Franca C (cruises), and now Doulos
Abu Dhabi: The world's oldest active ocean-going passenger ship docked at Abu Dhabi's Free Port yesterday morning.
MV Doulos, a floating book fair, visits port cities around the world in a bid to encourage inter-cultural understanding, all the while supplying literary resources.
The Doulos will mark its official Abu Dhabi opening tonight, and will remain at the Free Port until February 3. Purchased in 1977 by Gutte Bucher fur Alle (Good Books for All, GBA), a non-profit charitable German organisation, the Doulos has welcomed more than 18 million visitors from over 500 ports in 100 countries.
"We have about 500,000 books on board, with close to 6,000 different titles," said David Short, Senior Project Manager for GBA. "The books range from cookery and sports books to dictionaries, science and philosophy books."
The Doulos has previously docked in UAE ports, with visits to Abu Dhabi in 1995 and 1998, as well as taking part in the Dubai Shopping Festival in 1998. Both English and Arabic books will be available at the book fair, and an international cafe and majlis will be set up for visitors.
Built in 1914, the ship and her crew go around the world spreading the message of "bringing knowledge, help and hope" to people, and provides humanitarian relief in areas of need and tragedy.
All crew members aboard the Doulos are volunteers, including the captain, Alex Feddes. The 300 crew members aboard come from 45 different nations.
"Our desire is to give a message of cultural understanding and goodwill. We have many differences around the world, but with understanding and respect we can honour one another, and that's what we're seeking. We want to show that there is a way of living together in a world with so many misunderstandings," said Short.
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