Morocco praised for cultural initiative

Asilah: President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan lauded the Asilah Festival in Morocco as a cultural initiative that fosters the language of dialogue, implants values of tolerance and acts as a bridge of cultural communication between the North and South.

"The selection of renewable energy as the theme for the 32nd Asilah Festival underlines the philosophy of the festival in establishing culture as a container for development," Shaikh Khalifa said in his inaugural address which was read on his behalf at the opening of the festival by Abdul Rahman Mohammad Al Owais, UAE Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development.

Shaikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President's Representative, attended the opening ceremony, during which the UAE was unveiled as the festival's official guest of honour which runs from July 10 to July 27.

Shaikh Khalifa congratulated King Mohammad VI of Morocco on his 11th accession day, and highlighted the depth and strength of UAE-Morocco ties.

"This year's festival provides an ideal opportunity for the UAE to acquaint the participants with its efforts in the renewable energy field and its civilisation, historic, cultural and heritage contributions," Shaikh Khalifa added. He praised the Asilah festival founder, Mohammad Benaissa, for assembling a crowd of prominent thinkers and innovators. He also thanked him for his continuous determination to establish the gathering as one of the key events to promote values of our authentic Arab and Islamic civilisation, a model for cultural interaction and a bridge linking the meaning of the past with the modernity of the present.

Human development

Shaikh Khalifa considered the selection of the UAE as the festival's guest of honour and renewable energy as the headline theme of the festival this year as a step towards the path of human development, and carries meanings and dimensions that go beyond existing bilateral ties, opening up new and broader horizons to meet the challenges our world is facing today. "This is a confirmation of the role the festival plays as a bridge of cultural communication between the east and west and north and south." said Shaikh Khalifa.