MBRF launches new initiatives under Dubai International Programme for Writing

Dubai: The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) has launched several writing workshops as part of its Dubai International Programme for Writing.

Themed ‘UAE Tomorrow’, ‘Dubai Future’, ‘Scientific Translation’ and ‘Travel Writings’, the workshops are aimed at encouraging and empowering young talents, who possess the skill of writing in various fields of knowledge, by enrolling them in specialised training programmes that are supervised by Arab and international trainers.

Jamal bin Huwaireb, CEO of MBRF, said: “The Dubai International Programme for Writing has made notable contributions over the past ten years to the intellectual and literary movement in the region by cultivating young and talented writers on the basis of sound linguistic, literary, and scientific foundations and under the guidance of accomplished Arab and international experiences. The training workshops come in line with MBRF’s commitment to offer an optimal environment that fosters intellectual and knowledge excellence, by consolidating the role of the Arabic Language. This is being done as per the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to empower the role of the Arabic language as the future language of science and innovation.”

He said, “The workshops are an expression of MBRF’s mission to enhance the Arabic intellectual and literary movement. By removing barriers to the development of knowledge economies, we aim to facilitate the spread of knowledge. We also aim to bring about a fundamental change in the intellectual movement by reaffirming the importance of the Arabic language for knowledge exchange.”

Salem Al Owais, Head of the Dubai International Programme for Writing, said: “The Dubai International Programme for Writing is designed to enhance the knowledge of creative and ambitious young talents, develop the skills of its affiliates, motivate them and provide them with the tools that they need to move forward in the path of excellence. It prepares them to follow the footprints of former trainees who have accomplished great achievements and have won prestigious awards. The new set of initiatives of the programs has extensive scope as it includes writing workshops that help anticipate the future features of Dubai and the UAE and embody travel experiences within creative texts, in addition to training participants in scientific translation and raising awareness on its importance in facilitating knowledge transfer and keeping pace with rapid scientific developments. We are confident that the Dubai International Programme for Writing will contribute to grooming and empowering a new cohort of thought leaders and influencers in various fields of knowledge.”

The workshops

The first workshop, titled “The UAE Tomorrow: The UAE in 50 Years” started under the supervision of coach Ray Abdelaal. During the workshop, which will last for four months, several young writers are being trained to use the right methods in writing children’s stories. They will also be introduced to the elements of this genre and the ways of creating well-rounded scripts.

Themed ‘Dubai the Future’, the second workshop will last for four months, under the supervision of Islam Abushakir, who is training the participants to write a long story foreseeing Dubai’s future after 50 years from the point of view of young creatives. The workshop has two levels, the first one including periodic virtual and in-person meetings that will be held five times per month, and the second including daily communication and interaction via specialised electronic communication methods.

The workshops also include “Scientific Translation”, aimed at highlighting the role of translation in sharing scientific content globally, and providing participants with the tools to enhance their abilities in the field of scientific translation. This workshop is supervised by Dr. Ghanem Al Samurai.

In addition, the “Travel Journals” workshop was launched and is supervised by Dr. Wafaa Al Mezghani. This workshop focuses on honing the participants’ skills in portraying travel experiences and turning them into literature. The workshop relies on interaction, brainstorming, sharing ideas, and encourages teamwork.

The trainers supervising the workshops praised MBRF’s efforts and its leading role in enabling the development of the skills and experiences of young generations, thereby preparing a new generation of writers and creators and consolidating Arabic language’s prevalence in the fields of science and knowledge. The trainers expressed their pride in their contribution to shaping the future of the region’s knowledge landscape and to achieving the ambitious objectives of the Dubai International Programme for Writing. Meanwhile, the program affiliates thanked and lauded MBRF and the administrators and supervisors of the Dubai International Program for Writing, expressing their appreciation for the opportunities offered by the Foundation to fine-tune their writing skills, taking them one step closer to realising their ambitions as writers, creative authors and pioneers within the knowledge landscape.

MBRF launched the Dubai International Programme for Writing in 2013 as a comprehensive framework for a wide range knowledge projects and initiatives.  Since its launch, the programme has provided full training to over 300 young participants in various writing arts, and included many workshops in the UAE, Kuwait, Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco. Adding to the program’s accomplishments is a number of books that received prestigious awards.