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Abu Dhabi /Â WAM
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, stressed that the UAE, under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, provides great support for culture, literature, science and knowledge, placing them among its priorities, while encouraging authors and cultured people from Arab countries and all over the world.
This was said during His Highness’s reception on Monday at the Al Bahr Palace of the winners of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, most notably the Moroccan historian and intellectual, Dr. Abdallah Laroui, the 11th Cultural Personality of the Year 2016-2017, as well as the winners of the Prince of Poets competition, the judging panel, publishers, organisers of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair and the Chinese delegation as the fair’s guest of honour, while accompanied by Faris Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Committee for Festivals and Cultural and Heritage Programmes (CFCHP); Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, and Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Secretary-General of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan congratulated the winners of the 11th Sheikh Zayed Book Award and the Prince of Poets competition, expressing his happiness for the cultural, intellectual and literary elite and his appreciation for their role in strengthening the cultural and knowledge scene in the community through their intellect and creativity, for which they deserved this honour. His Highness also thanked the judging panel for their significant efforts in the judging process.
His Highness stressed that culture and intellect were, and will continue to be, the primary standard for measuring the advancement of nations and their civilisation, and the extent
of their ability to develop and
advance.
He added that the UAE’s wise leadership considers knowledge as part and parcel of the nation’s civilised and historic heritage and its development process. He added that culture and intellect are also key to educating the human who is aware and capable of serving his nation, open to others and capable of spreading the values of tolerance, peace and coexistence, which the UAE believes in and is working to strengthen and spread on an international level.
His Highness greeted all the guests of the Abu Dhabi Book Fair, notably the cultured, writers and publishers from different countries of the world, especially the delegation representing China, which is the guest of honour for 2017. China provided Arab readers with the opportunity, through their great and remarkable presence in the fair, to become familiar with their country’s rich creativity and intellect that has a known civilised history, connecting them with historical ties of friendship.
His Highness stated that the Sheikh Zayed Book Award has many denotations, as it immortalises the prominent role of the late founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, in serving culture and literature as a loyalty for his giving to science and knowledge, as a foundation of advancement and a bridge between diverse cultures.
His Highness highlighted that the Sheikh Zayed Book Award and the Prince of Poets competition are evidence of the presence of an environment that supports intellect and creativity, and a leadership that desires to promote science and employ all available national resources to serve culture, the world and knowledge, reflecting positively on life and contributing to achieving sustainable development while developing the spirit of creativity and innovation for the community.
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region; H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation; H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior; H.H. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court; H.H. Sheikh Omar bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation; Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan and Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Member of the Executive Council, attended the meeting.