Sharjah: His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, yesterday vowed to set up the permanent headquarters for the General Union of Arab Writers to serve as a venue for their cultural activities and support cultural production.
The announcement was made by Dr Shaikh Sultan during a meeting at the Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre of Gulf Studies (Dara) with representatives from the union on Wednesday. He welcomed the writers and expressed his happiness at this meeting, which stimulates the continuation of cultural and literary work.
He also issued instructions for organising an Arab and World Literary Conference, to meet once every two years to discuss the results of cultural and literary works, and be held in different Arab countries.
Dr Shaikh Sultan highlighted the importance of holding such a conference to communicate with the western world to exchange cultural ideas, prove facts and benefit from various areas, pointing out, in this context, to the communication between Moroccan writers with a number of European countries.
He highlighted the importance of the historic Arab-African relations, adding that an Institute of African Studies similar to that in Khartoum will be inaugurated in Sharjah. The institute will offer scholarships to Africans abroad.
Answering a question about his attachment to the cultural field in the light of changing conditions, Dr Shaikh Sultan compared himself to a person standing on the edge of a river that sweeps away every good and bad, and that he holds on to the trunk of a large tree called the Arab nation.
The secretary-general and members of the union commended Shaikh Sultan’s efforts and initiatives in serving culture and literature.
Shaikh Sultan accompanied the Arab guests on a tour of the centre’s halls and sections.
Later, Dr Shaikh Sultan received a delegation of Saudi poets. During the meeting, Dr Shaikh Sultan and the delegation spoke about topics pertaining to literature, culture and poetry, and ways to support poets and writers in different parts of the Arab world.
Dr Shaikh Sultan pointed out the deep brotherly bonds between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and the constructive bilateral relations in different fields of development and culture that support both nations’ efforts for progress in all areas.
