Ronald Codrai © TCA Abu Dhabi
This Month
March 2013
This Month
This Month
A periodical publication by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority
‘Story of a Fort, Legacy of a Nation’
Qasr al Hosn Festival to celebrate more than 250 years of history
Moza Al Falasi - A painter and photographer from the UAE, born
contest on the sidelines of the Second International Falconry
in Dubai and a graduate of Higher College of Technology in
Festival held in Al Ain in 2011. She came in the first position
Dubai, Moza Al Falasi began her path in photography in 2006.
in the photography contest in two editions of ADIHEX, in 2009
She produced professional photographs of spontaneous shots
and 2011.
from the local UAE environment, and she was creative in the
themes of desert, hunting with falcons, Arabian horses and
Moza says that her love of heritage is clearly reflected on her
other heritage elements.
works. She captures the beauties and austerity of the desert
and in the same time, she translates the strong will given
She believes that the desert is not a barren land; “I find my
by Allah to the Emiratis in order to surmount such austerity.
inner self in the desert which I still wander in all its parts;
Through her works, Moza would like to create a link between
perhaps because I’m from a Bedouin descent. I cannot turn
the promising present and the rich past which is the source
my camera away from the desert. It is the breeding ground of
of pride and dignity.
men, cavaliers and poets who became leaders of this country”,
says Moza Al Falasi.
Moza Al Falasi believes that art is a type of human culture that
differs from one environment to another. It is a message through
Moza has taken part in several exhibitions in the UAE and had
which one can express the events and situations experienced
strong presence in local and international contests, and this
in an artistic approach that differs from one artist to another.
in turn led to a great development in her performance. She
However, such approach shows the creative spirit mingled
received several awards, including the golden medal from the
with the intellectual value inherent in work. She says “Art is
International Photography Contest held in Austria this year. She
an intrinsic talent in the artist. Nothing can be mastered if it
was also able to come in the first position in the photography
comes by coercion. Perhaps I may find myself in several arts,
March 2013
including painting for which I had great love from my childhood.
It is noteworthy in Moza’s experience that she heavily depends
I devoted myself to recognize this art and know more about its
on self-education. She was able to develop her capabilities
basics through courses. During such courses, we were asked to
through a series of specialized technical courses, whether
shoot some photographs on a certain theme and repaint them.
in different arts of photography or painting, including Arabic
This was my real turn towards photography.”
calligraphy, coloring arts using acrylic, pastel, watercolors,
pencil drawing and other artistic techniques.
New this month page 5
National Library page 45
Special Events this month page 69
Arts Workshop
Page 70
Talents & Creativity Center
Page 74
Arabian Oud House Courses
Al Qattara Arts Centre
Page 78
Page 82
New This Month page 5
Ronald Codrai © TCA Abu Dhabi
New This Month page 5
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair Kick off on April 24 Page 24
Abu Dhabi achieves 2012 hotel guest target Page 26
Abu Dhabi Dives Into Moscow’s Golden Dolphin Show Page 27
Cunard’s Flagship Queen Mary 2 Make Debut Call In Abu Dhabi Page 28
Curtain falls on milestone 5th gourmet Abu Dhabi Festival Page 30
HH Sheikh Sultan visits Yas Waterworld Page 32
President Bill Clinton to keynote WTTC Global Summit Page 33
Kalima Page 8
Middle East Luxury Travel Show to be held in Abu Dhabi next year Page 34
New books by the National Library Page 14
Prince of Poets accepts submissions ahead of 5th edition Page 36
2nd National Library meet-up event Page 18
New Musicians Graduated from Arabian Oud House Page 38
Kalima in Jaipur Literature Festival Announces Ramayana Epic Page 20
Abu Dhabi to host December 2014 Volvo Ocean Race stopover Page 40
The Committee of Festivals, Cultural and Heritage First Meeting Page 22
Exhibitions - Al Moryat By Khalid Al Mikdadi Page 42
Kalima publications
The Worst Jobs in History
By: Tony Robinson
Translated by: Dr. Abdullah Jaradat
In a narrative and funny style, the book tackles the worst
jobs witnessed by the British Island over two millennia
from the ancient Roman age, and the Middle Ages until the
Victorian period. The author explains in his introduction
that his choices are purely personal because he had no
objective standards to gauge people’s misery.
Along six chapters, the book details the worst jobs in
Britain over two periods of time. The book unveils the
misery of a category of people which history left in total
oblivion by shedding light on some jobs they used to
do whether contentedly or coercively. The author tried
strenuously to be objective in tackling each period,
beginning with Romans and ending with the Victorian age
with its worst jobs. So, the book is deemed to be a record of
social, economic and political life. It enables the reader to
recognize specific dates when certain jobs have emerged,
such as plaster cladding, which appeared in the Middle
Ages, or the invention of a certain device, such as the
weaver which emerged in the Victorian Age. The book also
gives the dates of important events such as the plague
which hit England in the past.
New This Month page8
Tony Robinson (1947) is an actor, comedian, author, TV
presenter and political activist. He is known for playing
Baldrick in the BBC television series Blackadder. He has
deep interest in history and archaeology and this led him
to present the following programs for Channel 4: Time
Team and The Worst Jobs in History.
Translator of the book: Doctor Abdullah Jaradat,
an assistant professor of linguistics in the English
Department, the Hashemite University, Jordan. He is a
Ph.D. holder with honors in Linguistics. He is specialized
in semantics and had his degree from the University of
Kansas, USA, in 2007. His research interests are focused
on documenting heritage and proverbs, looking for the
reasons of their sustainability and the contribution of
linguistic structures in creating such sustainability. This is
his second contribution to Kalima translation project as he
previously translated a book entitled “Playing the Game:
Western Women in Arabia.” The book is already published.
9
Kalima publications
Sand on the Move: The Story of Dunes
By: Roy A. Gallant
Translated by: Fahad Al Khateeb
The book tackles sand dunes covering several parts on
mainland. The book opens with a description of the origins
and sources of sands forming the dunes. The author
explains in a literary and rather fictional style the details
of the journey made by sands from mountain rocks to the
depth of oceans. The book mentions the different types of
dunes, both linear and cresentic, explaining how the wind
forms the dunes when it blows from different directions. It
then illustrates the differences and similarities between
the different types of dunes and the flora and fauna in
the dunes. The author also tackles the dunes continuous
progress and how this is considered one of the main
causes of desertification which is a man made problem
as well. He then tackles the interaction among living
creatures and their surrounding environment and how
Man affects nature in many instances. The book is rife
with great interesting information on animals and plants
living in dunes, which developed several characteristics in
order to adapt with their surroundings.
also extends to affect inhabitants of cities, agricultural
and coastal areas as well. Although sand dunes, which
form the landmarks and details of deserts and demarcate
the borders of coasts, seem to be still, they are full of life.
Author of the book is Roy A. Gallant. He was born in the
1930s and worked as editor publishing several scientific
articles. He wrote more than eighty books for children
discussing several topics, including: astronomy, geology
and the evolution theory. He worked at the American
Natural History Museum and was a board member of
Hayden Agency in New York. He currently works at a
similar agency as director of Southworth Center in South
Mean University. He is an assistant professor at University
and member of the Royal Society of Space Sciences in the
UK.
The translator of the book is Fahad Al Khateeb. He was
born in October 1980, graduated from the Faculty of
Engineering, Leeds University, in 2001. He completed
his postgraduate diploma in computer science and
networking at Bradford University and he currently lives
in Britain.
It is known that deserts are one of the most important
factors affecting the modes of Arabian life. The effect of
deserts is not necessarily limited to the inhabitants, but
New This Month page10
11
Kalima publications
Belated Travelers: Orientalism in the Age
of Colonial Dissolution
By: Ali Behdad
Translated by: Nasser Mustafa Abul Haijaa
The book provides an insightful cultural criticism of travel
books and the vital role they played in European colonialism
during the 19th century. At that time, travelers were
resentful when European colonialism became familiar.
Ali Behdad believes that this nostalgic inclination to the
Other involves tacit criticism of the Western superiority
idea. It also denotes a discrepancy in the Western
discourse towards the Other. The book harps on power
analytics of Michel Foucault and the new critical efforts of
Orientalism. He finds it, contrary to Edward Said, to be an
ever-changing and complicated field of practices devoting
its power as a hegemony discourse.
The book moves from cultural criticism and studies to
post-colonialism. For this purpose, it mobilizes great
number of analytical and conceptual tools of different
literary theory, philosophy, anthropology, history and
psychological analysis. The book also delves deep into
the world of historical documents and sources, revealing
patience and professionalism in deciphering the pale
manuscript written by the hands of Flaubert.
Behdad then discusses the historical conditions of the late
19th century orientalism, casting light on the writings of
New This Month page12
several travelers and authors, such as: Flaubert, Nerval,
Kipling, Blent, Eberhardt, etc. It studies such writings to
prove their involvement in the discourses of desire and
power, reviewing a number of issues which do not stop
at nostalgia and tourism, but exceeds them to excessive
melancholia to prove the differences in orientalism and
the multiplicity of its practices. Behdad’s work represents
a unique writing on the practices high on the critical
agenda nowadays. There is no doubt that those interested
in colonialism and post-colonialism studies will be eager
to read this unique book.
Author of the book is Ali Behdad. He is a professor of
Comparative Literature in the English Language Department,
University of California. His academic interests include
several fields of criticism, including theory, post-colonial
literature, cultural criticism and European representations
on the Middle East. He has several other books, including
“Forgotten Nation: Discussion on Immigration and Cultural
Identity.” His book “Belated Travelers” was an important
reference in the fields of colonial post-colonial studies and
cultural criticism.
As for the translator, Nasser Mustafa Abul Haijaa, he is
Jordanian and has several translated articles and studies
published in Arabic newspapers and magazines in the
field of human sciences. He translated the book “Sexual
Conceptions on the Middle East” by Derek Hobbard,” and
the book “Brief History of Madness,” by Roy Porter.
13
New book on Zanzibar by the National Library
The National Library publish “Memoirs of Jahangir”
A new release has been published by the National Library
under the title “Zanzibar: History and People” by William
Harold Engramer, and translated into Arabic by Doctor
Adnan Khalid Abdullah.
The book is made up of 33 chapters. It is a geographic and
ethnographic study of Zanzibar whose city dates back to
more than 200 years. The book researches into old history
and foreign influences, subsequent history of local tribes
and the modern history of Zanzibar.
Emperor Jahangir reigned the Mogul State in India for
22 years (1605- 1627 AD), but his feeble health state
made him relinquish the writing of his memoirs in the
seventeenth year of his reign. Then, he asked Muatamed
Khan, the author of the epic “Iqbal- Namah” to complete
the writing. He pursued it to the beginning of the 19th
year, then stopped the memoirs and continued to recount
the events of his reign until the death of Jahangir.
The importance of these memoirs lies in the fact that they
give a real picture of India in the early decades of the 17th
century. They are considered as addition to the great
historical epic “Akbar Nama”.
Comprehensive and intensified review of written historical
evidence based on secondary sources in the first part of
the book is very useful as it provides important reference
material. The author describes local legends and their
important social functions in documenting the oral history
of the island and its formation.
The author’s interest was focused on “great men” of yore
along with other women who greatly contributed to the
renown of Zanzibar, such as Princess Salma Bint Saeed Bin
Sultan, the first Zanzibar woman to publish her books. She is
the first Arabic lady autobiographer. The book also mentions
Seti Bint Saeed who was a famous classical musician.
The book’s numerous life experiences in the main island
and other isles forming Zanzibar provide us with a detailed
and lively description of the community at that time.
New This Month page14
Contributions of oriental royal writers in literature are
great contribution as they have great value. The reason for
this is that all the stories of history about the Orient are
full of flattery. Even when there is no subject of flattery,
the author becomes dazzled with the subject of his book
and gives us an image that does not reveal the reality of
the reign.
It is an interesting material for reading. Engramer was not
a typical ethnologist or traditional historian with strict
academic approach. He visited Zanzibar in 1919 as a police
inspector and his last job in Zanzibar was the secretary of
the British High Commissioner and the Sultan of Zanzibar
in the same time.
A new book titled “Memoirs of Jahangir” was translated in
to Arabic by from the National Library. The book translated
from English by Hala Al Hilow is the English copy done by
Alexander Rodgers.
When oriental royals write their own historical
biographies, things are different because they have no
fear or preference. They reveal what others try to conceal.
However, we cannot trust what they say about themselves.
15
“India – Formation of the Indian-Islamic World” New Book
from the National Library
The National Library has published “India – Formation
of the Indian-Islamic World”, written by Andree Wink and
translated by Abdul Elah Al Mallah in three encyclopedic
volumes.
The first tackles India in early Middle Ages and the Islamic
expansion (from 7th to 11th century). The second part
tackles the sultans of the Mamluk State and the Islamic
conquest (from 11th to 13th century). The third part
tackles the subject of Indo-Muslim society (from 14th
to 15th century AD). The first part of the book provides
analysis of the great and long-term transformation that
accompanied the Islamisation of the areas known to
Arabs as “alhind” (India), and other large remote parts
within the Indian territory. Islamic expansion in India from
the 7th to 11th century AD had great commercial effects.
The hegemony of Islamic Middle Eastern trade was derived
from its middle location between the Mediterranean Sea
and the Pacific Ocean, making it an intermediary of trading
between the two parts.
New This Month page16
The second part tackles the Islamic conquest from
the 11th to 13th century AD, providing analysis of the
new regulatory forms in the new Islamic India in such
centuries, modes of immigration that have been formed
between the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia,
along with maritime developments in the Indian Ocean
and the religious transformation.
The third part of the study takes the reader into a journey
beginning from the Mogul conquest until the Middle
Ages and the beginnings of modern ages in the end of
the fifteenth century and the beginning of the sixteenth
century. In this part, there is greater focus on the role
of geography, especially in the interaction between the
Bedouin, settled and coastal societies. The book delineates
an image of the Indian world just before the discovery of
maritime routes by the Portuguese; a world without fixed
standards with constant geophysical changes, transient
people who have nomadic descent, trading groups in
Diaspora, and a class of farmers subject to hungry and
diseases awaiting the rain season.
17
2nd National Library meet-up event
More than 50 librarians from throughout Abu Dhabi emirate
have signed up for the National Library’s 2ndLibrarians
Meet-up last January. Organised under the guidance of
Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi)
and Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, the informative
‘meet-up’ give the librarians a detailed brief on what to
expect at 23rd Abu Dhabi International Book Fair taking
place coming April.
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which will run at Abu
Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), from April 24-29,
is a popular event for local librarians from schools, colleges,
universities and technical institutions to buy books for their
institutions. The meet-up gives them pre-event information,
advice and guidance about the types of books and genres
on display so the librarians can plan ahead.
the meet-up presented topics on : the titles available at
the fair, insights into the Arab and international publishers
which will be present, how to connect the librarians to the
source of books, how to make their visit smooth, pleasant
and productive and a breakdown of the special events and
sessions which will be part of the fair programme.
“There has been an immense positive response from
the librarians who attended the session last year and
the meet-up is an opportunity to network with the UAE’s
experienced librarian community and get their input and
New This Month page18
suggestions,” said HE Jumaa Abdullal Al Qubaisi, Executive
Director National Library and Director of Abu Dhabi
International Book Fair.
“Libraries unquestionably play a pivotal role in our
personal evolution and in inculcating a passion for
reading in our younger generations. In a knowledge-based
community such as ours, learning and development are
critical in ensuring that the minds of our young readers
are stimulated. The positive meet-up response from the
librarians is indicative of their eagerness to gain maximum
benefit from the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair and the
events and resources it offers.”
Vanessa Middleton, Head Librarian at Petroleum
Institute and Founder of the Region’s Informal Network
of Professional Librarians congratulated Abu Dhabi
International Book Fair on the meet-up initiative.
“It is clear the organisers view librarians as critical
stakeholders in the publishing industry. Events such
as the meet-up are an excellent opportunity for regional
librarians to share feedback to enhance their Abu Dhabi
International Book Fair experience and learn more about
planned activities. Librarians benefit from professional
talks, author lectures, and learn more about publishing
trends, all of which help inform their decisions about
developing their collections and marketing these
resources to their community of learners.” said Vanessa.
19
Kalima Participates in Jaipur Literature Festival and
Announces Launch of Arabic Version of Ramayana Epic
The National Library, an affiliate of the Authority,
represented in Kalima Translation Project, has lately taken
part in Jaipur Literature Festival held on 24-28 January in
the Indian Province of Rajasthan.
In celebration of this festival, known as the biggest
literary festival in Asia Pacific, Kalima Translation Project
announced the launch of the Arabic translated version
of “The Ramayana Epic: An Epic Translated into Arabic
Poetry”, which was translated into Arabic poetry by
the late Lebanese author, Wadie Al Bustani, edited and
introduced by Doctor Khalil Al Sheikh, and revised by Dr.
Zekr Al Rahman, Director of the Arab Indian Cultural Center
in New Delhi.
Ramayana Epic is part of the sacred Indian heritage and it
is supposed to be written by the Indian poet, Valmiki, who
is featured in the epic as one of its characters. However, it
is more likely that the poem was composed by a number of
poets and chanters. With the completion of its 24 thousand
lines, it became a product of the collective Indian mind,
expressing the imagination and beliefs of this nation. For
this reason, we find that the character of Rama (one of the
two main characters in the epic) is still present in songs,
New This Month page20
dance and drama until this day across Asia.
The Ramayana meets the conditions and features of an
epic as it is built on the heroic narrative poetry that can be
chanted. It recounts the story of sublime characters with
high legendary powers.
The Ramayana is characterized by its coverage of vast
areas on land in India and abroad, describing different
natural sceneries with miracles and marvels of gods and
semi-gods mentioned throughout the epic.
Wadie Al Bustani (1888 – 1954), the translator of this
epic, comes from a Lebanese Mornite descent, with a large
number of his family members being skilled at literature
and language. Along with other Lebanese families, the
family of Wadie had greatly served the Arabic language
and its literature.
Al Bustani was interested in the old Indian literature,
using English, French and Sanskrit translations of
such literature. He translated the famous Indian epic of
Mahbrata into Arabic poetry and translated into Arabic
other poems by a famous Bengali poet, Rapendranat
Taghour (1861 – 1941).
21
The Committee of Festivals, Cultural and Heritage
Programs Holds its First Meeting
The Committee of Festivals, Cultural and Heritage Programs
held its first meeting recently, under the chairmanship of
HE Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Advisor for Culture and
Heritage in the Court of His Highness the Crown Prince of
Abu Dhabi, and Board Member of the Abu Dhabi Tourism &
Culture Authority (TCA, Abu Dhabi). The preparation for the
launch of various key cultural and heritage events during
the current year, 2013, topped the agenda of the meeting.
Dhabi Media Company, the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture
Authority- to which the Committee refers in its functions
and tasks-, the General Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police, the
Department of Municipal Affairs, the Office of the Ruler’s
Representative in the Western Region (Al Gharbia), the
Department of Transport, the Environment Agency - Abu
Dhabi, the Health Authority - Abu Dhabi, and the Abu Dhabi
Food Control Authority.
Among the other objectives of the Committee is the
promotion of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the various
conferences, activities and events it organizes and hosts.
This promotion operates through widely watched cultural
TV programs, notably the “Million’s Poet”, the “Prince of
Poets” and the “Al Shara” programs, as well as events like
Al Dhafra Festival, and the Liwa Date Festival.
The participants at the meeting discussed the action
Al Mazrouei extended his thanks and appreciations to
the participants for their interest and determination to
activate the tasks and projects of the Committee as soon
as possible. HE Chairman of the Committee for Festivals,
and Cultural and Heritage Programs noted that the vision
of the Committee takes in the promotion of efforts made
to build a strong and cohesive society which believes in
common roots and collective future.
The General Secretariat of the Executive Council in Abu
Dhabi has recently issued - early February – a decree
that stipulates the formation of the Committee for
Festivals, and Cultural and Heritage Programs, chaired
by HE Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouei. The members of
the Committee include representatives from the Abu
New This Month page22
mechanism needed to ensure the continuity and
development of the various cultural and heritage
events that serve the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the
UAE. They voiced their readiness to organize and launch
upcoming events. During the meeting, the Committee’s
organizational structure has been adopted. The internal
regulations needed to speed up the completion of the
assigned tasks, in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Tourism
& Culture Authority, were also discussed.
The Committee will manage many festivals as well as
cultural and heritage programs, notably the “Million’s Poet”,
the “Prince of Poets”, the heritage and cultural program
“Al Shara”, the Liwa Date Festival, Al Dhafra Festival, the
Abu Dhabi Poetry Academy, the Million’s Poet Channel, the
Million’s Poet Magazine, the Shawati’ Magazine , and the
New York Film Academy.
The Committee will also manage any assigned programs,
festivals and cultural and heritage events. This endeavor
aims at serving the cultural strategy of the Emirate of Abu
Dhabi, and the UAE, contributing to the preservation of
cultural heritage, and working to deliver an Emirati civilized
and humanitarian message to the various cultures and
peoples of the world.
23
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair Kick off on April 24
Kitab, an affiliate of the Authority, organises the
forthcoming Abu Dhabi International Book Fair from 24 to
29 April 2013 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, with
participation of Arabic and foreign publishing houses.
The fair will feature a professional and cultural agenda
fraught with events and literary personalities, with great
focus on e-publishing, digital content, e-applications
and the latest technologies in the field of publishing. The
Fair will provide an ideal space for content developers
and service providers in order to offer their products and
services to the publishing community.
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is the ideal meeting
ground between trade and culture as it is known for its
well-studied multifaceted program which is specially
designed to attract Arab and foreign visitors. The cultural
program of the fair is as diverse as the cultural variety of
the UAE population. Children also at the fair will experience
the fun of reading at the creativity corner, in addition to
book autograph ceremonies and literary discussions.
The digital publishing corner will provide the public and
practitioners greater technical options. Painters’ corner,
known for its liveliness, will provide an ideal platform
through which talented people can display their works.
As for the professional program of exhibitors, it provides
New This Month page24
visitors with a platform helping them to create links
with publishers in the Middle East and North Africa and
beyond. It provides a view on the new trends in publishing,
children books, illustrated books and translation rights.
The fair continues to provide its assistance to translation
agreements under the “Light on Right”.
This year’s edition will feature the announcement of the
winner in the Arab International Fiction Award, along with
winners of Sheikh Zayed Book Award and the organisation
of the Second Abu Dhabi International Translation
Conference. Partnership and cooperation will continue
with the Ministry of Culture, UAE Writer Union, universities,
book clubs and many other official cultural institutions.
Such cooperation will also continue with Goethe Institute
and the French Association in Abu Dhabi.
The fair will be a great cultural get-together among
writers, readers, publishers and other capitals of science
and culture, turning the region into a main hub of literary
and intellectual activity. Visitors will enjoy a large number
of seminars and reading sessions, dialogues and shows
presented by world famous authors and other new
writers in the domains of literature, poetry, drama, fiction,
linguistics and illustrated fiction and much more. Seminars
will be held on “Feminism in Literature and Language” ,
“Successful Self-Published Stories”, and “Immigrants in
the West: Author’s Perspective”.
25
Abu Dhabi achieves 2012 hotel guest target
Abu Dhabi last year received 2,388,023 hotel guests in
its 136 hotels and hotel apartments – a 13% rise on its
2011 performance and achieving its set target of 2.3
million guests. This made 2012 a record guest year for Abu
Dhabi’s hospitality sector.
The figures are revealed in Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture
Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) figures just out and show a
12% year-on-year rise in guest nights to 6,996,724. Hotel
revenues for the period were also up – this time by 6% - to
AED4.6 billion (US $1.261 billion).
During 2012 there was strong growth in the number of
guests coming from Africa – which was up by a third on
2011 and was primarily influenced by arrivals from the
Seychelles, which now has enhanced air access to the
emirate via Etihad and air Seychelles, and also from South
Africa. Improved GCC arrivals was mainly influenced by
an upturn in guest numbers from Saudi Arabia, which
rose 16% year-on-year, from Oman, which turned in a 29%
increase and Qatar which delivered 24% more guests.
Greater uptake from China, the Philippines and India
largely accounted for the enhanced performance from
Asia, which rose 28% year-on-year.
During 2012, hotel occupancy was 65%, a slight decrease
of 5% year-on-year with room revenue rising by 1% and
the average room rate dipping by 8% to AED 452.90
New This Month page26
(US $123.30). TCA Abu Dhabi says room rate decline
is reflective of supply-and-demand fundamentals in a
market which has seen a 16% increase in the number of
rooms available.
Food & beverage revenues continued to hold their own
outperforming 2011 by 12% and amounting to AED 1.8
billion (US $491 million).
Domestic tourism remained buoyant throughout the year
accounting for some 888,241 guests – an 8% rise on 2011.
During 2012 the UK remained Abu Dhabi’s largest
international source market delivering 140,393 hotel
guests – a slight 1% rise on the previous year. India
became the destination’s second largest international
source market with 138,768 hotel guests – a rise of 28%
on 2011, with Germany taking third place with 96,802
guests representing a 42% increase on the comparative
period.
Abu Dhabi Dives Into Moscow’s Golden Dolphin Show
Abu Dhabi has been making a splash at Moscow’s popular
Golden Dolphin Show – Eastern Europe’s biggest consumer
water adventure exhibition.
A seven-strong destination delegation, led by Abu Dhabi
Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), were
thronged by up to 4,000 visitors when they mounted an
information pavilion at the show. The delegation included
Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi International Marine Club, Abu
Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club, Anantara resorts, MonteCarlo Beach Club Saadiyat, Wadi Adventure and the Al
Forsan International Sports Resort.
TCA Abu Dhabi was the show’s official partner and Edward
Grigoriev, the authority’s country manager Russia and the
CIS, welcomed visitors and invited them to check out the
emirate’s expanding water adventure offering.
The Abu Dhabi centre was activated throughout the show
with videos, a henna demonstration and an underwater
photography competition with a weekend-getaway-prize
provided by Abu Dhabi’s five-star Eastern Mangroves
Hotel& Spa by Anantara.
The promotion came as TCA Abu Dhabi looks to build on
growing interest in the emirate from the Russian market.
Last year some 19,633 Russians stayed in Abu Dhabi’s
hotels and hotel apartments – a 40% rise on 2011 – and
taking the country into the Top 20 of the destination’s hotel
guest source markets. The Russian guests accounted
for 104,956 room nights – a rise of 46% on 2011 – with
Russians being amongst the destination’s longest-staying
guests averaging 5.35 nights.
Major gains also came from Italy, which delivered 22%
more guests last year than in 2011 reflective on the new
AlItalia services between Rome and Abu Dhabi and Russia,
which saw a 40% rise in guests.
Guests from the US and Canada are proving to be Abu
Dhabi’s longest stayers with an average stay of 5.47 and
5.58 nights respectively.
27
Cunard’s Flagship Queen Mary 2 Make Debut Call In Abu Dhabi
The Queen Mary 2 – the most expensive ocean liner ever
built and the luxury flagship of the Cunard Line - made
her maiden Abu Dhabi call at the UAE capital’s Mina Zayed
cruise terminal last January.
then heading out across the Indian Ocean to the Far East
& China, Australia, New Zealand and Mauritius to South
Africa, before returning to Southampton prior to embarking
on the itinerary’s transatlantic leg.
The AED 3.2billion (US $880million) cruise liner - built in
2004 to replace the illustrious Queen Elizabeth 2 – spend
the day in Mina Zayed before sailing for Cochin in India.
The liner arrived in Abu Dhabi on January 29 with 2,620
passengers with tourism officials hailing the debut as a
significant boost towards the city’s ambitions of receiving
180,000 passengers in the current cruise season and to
attain a 39% increase in the 2014/2015 season.
”It has taken over three years of delicate negotiations
to secure the inclusion of Abu Dhabi on Queen Mary 2’s
World Voyage itinerary,” says George Varghese, from Rais
Hassan Saadi Group, Cunard’s port handling agent. “She is
the pinnacle of ocean liner travel, with guests demanding
the very best on-board service matched with equally high
standards in shoreline excursion opportunities. Abu Dhabi
has proven itself as equal to that task.”
Abu Dhabi’s heritage attractions are expected to resonate
well with Queen Mary 2 passengers.
“To attract a cruise liner of this calibre is a tremendous
endorsement of Abu Dhabi’s rising status as a global
cruise destination and solid sector partner,” said Noura
Al Dhaheri, Leisure Product Development Manager, Abu
Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi).
“Cunard has a reputation of selecting only the very best
destinations for their world cruises, and we believe its
confidence in our destination will act as a catalyst for
other lines to consider adding Abu Dhabi to their itineraries,
further propelling our cruise credentials.”
Queen Mary 2 will call at Abu Dhabi as part of her 2013
World Voyage, a 106 day odyssey from Southampton in
the UK, calling via the Mediterranean and the Red Sea
New This Month page28
“Historically speaking, Cunarders have always evinced
keen interest in the history and culture of a region,
therefore, we expect high levels of participation on tours,
especially those going to Abu Dhabi’s heritage city of Al Ain
and the UAE capital’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque,” said A.
R. Gori, Senior General Manager of Orient Tours, Cunard’s
shore excursion agent. “Early booking trends also indicate
that the superb new developments on Saadiyat Island and
Yas Island are attracting their due share of attention. All in
all, we are looking forward to an exciting day in Abu Dhabi
with happy and satisfied guests.”
29
Curtain falls on milestone 5th Gourmet Abu Dhabi Festival
Elsewhere, a snap survey conducted by TCA Abu Dhabirevealed 46% of this year’s guests classified their Gourmet
Abu Dhabi experience as ‘excellent’, while 84% of responders said they were ‘extremely’ or ‘very likely’ to attend
next year’s festival.
The Abu Dhabi Gourmet Stars Awards brought the curtain down on the fifth Gourmet Abu Dhabi, the emirate’s
annual culinary festival which this year saw 56 international gourmet artisans from 14 nations serve up 16 days
of gastronomic indulgence across 20 of the UAE capital’s finest restaurants and venues.
With three new categories - ‘Best Sustainability Practice’, ‘Best Use of Local Produce by a Chef’ and ‘Spirit of the
Festival’ –a total of 13 awards were presented during a glittering ceremony at the five-star The St. Regis Saadiyat
Island Resort. The winners were:
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‘Executive Chef of the Year’ presented by Abu Dhabi Media - Danny Kattar, InterContinental Abu Dhabi
Restaurant of the Year’ presented by Motivate –Hakkasan, Emirates Palace
‘Food and Beverage Manager of the Year’ - Moustafa El Gayar, Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri
‘Regional Cuisine Chef of the Year’ - Jouni Ibrahim, Li Beirut, Jumeirah at Etihad Towers
‘Regional Cuisine Manager of the Year’ - Suresh Yadhav, Indigo, Beach Rotana
‘Regional Cuisine Restaurant of the Year’–Agadir, The Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa
‘Restaurant Chef of the Year’ presented by Acqua Panna & S.Pellegrino– Alexandra Pernetta, Bord Eau, ShangriLa Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri
‘Restaurant Manager of the Year’ - Ashwin Naidu, Marco Pierre White Steakhouse & Grill, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr
‘Restaurant Host of the Year’ –Yuni Sukmawati, Teatro, Park Rotana
‘Pastry Chef of the Year’ - Praveen Kumar, Hilton Abu Dhabi
‘Best Sustainability Practice’ presented by BBC Good Food Middle East - Fairmont Bab Al Bahr
‘Best Use of Local Produce by a Chef’ presented by Local Harvest – Nicolas Perz, Hyatt Capital Gate
‘Spirit of the Festival’ presented by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority – Ushna, Souk Qaryat Al Beri
The festival’s success was not restricted to its gourmet dinners and promotions. The revamped Culinary Creation
Stages - previously called masterclasses - were more than 80% booked within the first day of launch, while visits
to the dedicated Gourmet Abu Dhabi website have now quadrupled since the event’s launch in 2009.
New This Month page30
31
HH Sheikh Sultan visits Yas Waterworld
His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan,
Chairman, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA
Abu Dhabi), and its Director General, His Excellency
Mubarak Al Muhairi, visited the emirate’s latest leisure
power attraction, Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi - which
opened to the public last January.
Set across 15 hectares of Yas Island’s entertainment
complex, Sheikh Sultan got a firsthand view of the
more than 40 rides, slides and attractions on offer at
the park, many of which have never seen before, such
as the world’s longest, fastest tornado ride, the first
interactive water and laser rollercoaster and the Mid
East’s first Aqualoop.
“Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi brings a new dimension
to the emirate’s leisure tourism proposition, and will
be a major draw for visitors from across the country,
GCC and abroad. The park is another feather in Abu
Dhabi’s leisure tourism cap and bolsters our maturing
and diverse portfolio of best in class attractions,” said
Sheikh Sultan.
The park’s award-winning theme, centred on the ‘Lost
Pearl’, pays tribute to Emirati culture and its pearldiving heritage, providing an unforgettable experience
for young and old.
President Bill Clinton to keynote WTTC Global Summit,
Abu Dhabi, 9-10 April
President Bill Clinton, Founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation and
42nd President of the United States, will deliver the keynote address at
the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit which takes
place in Abu Dhabi, 9-10 April 2013.
Other Summit speakers include more than 40 leading public figures,
including Sir David Frost, British journalist and media personality,
Daryl Hannah, American actress and activist, Sir Jonathon Porritt,
environmentalist, David de Rothschild, adventurer and environmentalist,
David Scowsill, President and CEO, WTTC, and James Hogan, President &
President Bill Clinton
Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways.
Co-hosted by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) and
Etihad Airways, the Global Summit will be held in Abu Dhabi’s five-star
Jumeirah at Etihad Towers with a Gala Dinner taking place at the magical
Emirates Palace hotel.
David Scowsill, President & CEO WTTC, said: “The 2013 WTTC Global Summit
will explore the implications of our dramatically changing world economy
and growing population on the Travel & Tourism industry. Four months
after the world celebrated its one billionth international traveller, it will
examine what we need to do collectively to prepare for the next billion.”
James Hogan, President & Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways, said:” Daryl Hannah, American actress and activist
The WTTC Summit provides an extraordinary opportunity to showcase the remarkable emergence of Abu Dhabi
as a global economic centre and a tourism and aviation hub. In facing today’s global challenges, the emirate is a
living example of what is possible when vision is backed by investment, commitment and decisive action.”
Attendance at The Global Summit is complimentary and by personal invitation only to bona-fide journalists. Those
journalists wishing to express an interest to attend the Global Summit should send an email to media@wttc.org
New This Month page32
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Middle East Luxury Travel Show to be held in Abu Dhabi
next year
The inaugural Middle East Luxury Travel Show (MELTS),
an invitation-only, B2B event for connoisseurs of
luxury travel , is to be held in the iconic UAE Pavilion on
Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island in January next year.
The show is being brought to the United Arab Emirates’
capital following a strategic alliance between organiser
Seren Event Management Company (SerenEMC) and
Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi).
Running from January 26-29 next year, MELTS will also
feature a pre-show destination familiarisation trip, an
opening enrichment conference, three days of prearranged meetings and three evenings of networking
in some of Abu Dhabi’s most inspirational venues.
“MELTS has been designed to motivate and support the
progression of the luxury travel and tourism industry in
the Middle East by creating outstanding opportunities
for communications, heightened exposure and
knowledge enrichment both on a regional and
international level,” said Alexandra North of SerenEMC.
“Together, exhibitors, qualified buyers and global media
will explore, discover and connect with the latest trends
and opportunities for high end experiences across the
Middle East.”
New This Month page34
To register for the event, would-be exhibitors have to be
operating in the Middle East’s luxury travel and tourism
industry or about to enter the market.
MELTS is anticipated to become an annual event. “With
a meticulous screening process in place, MELTS will
ensure only superior and relevant buyers of luxury
travel, both regionally and internationally, will share
this distinctive platform to empower their business”
TCA Abu Dhabi is backing MELTS under its Advantage Abu
Dhabi, meetings incentive initiative which catalyses
and seeds innovative and viable business events
which are aligned to the Abu Dhabi Government’s 2030
economic vision.
“Tourism is one of 12 strategic economic categories
under which business event organisers can develop
proposals for Advantage Abu Dhabi support. The level of
support can range from financial grants, governmental
endorsement, leadership patronage, cost rebates and
marketing support,” explained Gillian Taylor, Business
Tourism Manager, TCA Abu Dhabi. “MELTS fit neatly
into this target portfolio and is also keenly aligned to
Abu Dhabi’s positioning as a luxury destination yet
one which is differentiated by its commitment to the
preservation and promotion of culture and heritage.”
35
Prince of Poets competition accepts submissions ahead
of 5th edition launch
The Poetry Academy at The Committee for Festivals,
and Cultural and Heritage Programs; announced that it
has begun to accept submissions ahead of the launch
of its 5th edition of the Prince of Poets, the prestigious
Classical Arabic poetry contest; Submissions will be
accepted until 3/3/2013 .
The age of admissible candidates has been limited
between 18 and 45, and each submission must consist
of one poem composed in Classical Arabic.
All submissions must be typed and sent by email as
an attachment to: pop@tcaabudhabi.ae; or printed out
and faxed to: 00971 2 643 3323. Handwritten poems
will not be accepted.
The traditional Classical Arabic amudi poetry (in column
form), as well as free verse or taf’ila (metric) poems
are accepted. Prose poems are not.
Each candidate poet is advised to send either one amudi
poem consisting of at least 20 lines and not exceeding
30 lines, or one taf’ila or free verse poem consisting
of no more than two strophes, each containing a
maximum of 15 lines.
New This Month page36
Along with the poems, candidates must send a typed
resume specifying their date of birth, favourite
activities and literary achievements, in addition to their
permanent address in their home country, email and
contact numbers.
Since its launch in 2007 in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the
UAE, the Prince of Poets has been a major cultural event
that pits a mixture of Classical Arabic poets against
one another. Their favourite format ranges from the
classic amudi, rhymed verse, as it was composed in
olden times, to the more modern free verse and taf’ila
compositions.
In the 4th edition of the competition, which wrapped up
in February 2011, the Prince of Poets’ title went to the
Yemeni poet Abdul Aziz Al Zaraei. In 2008 and 2009, the
Mauritanian poet Mohamed Ould Bemba and the Syrian
poet Hassan Baiti clinched the title, respectively. In the
first edition of the show, the title went to the UAE’s own
Abdul Kareem Maatouq.
Thanks to Abu Dhabi’s efforts to rekindle interest in poetry, the show has succeeded in digging up 125 poetic
talents through its dedicated television programme, which is watched by millions of fans of Classical Arabic poetry
in various parts of the world.
During its first four editions, the Prince of Poets has
seen a remarkable candidate turnout, with thousands
of Arab and Arabic-speaking poets entering the contest.
37
New Musicians Graduated from Arabian Oud House
Arabian Oud House, an affiliate of the Authority, has witnessed the graduation ceremony of two musicians recently.
Students Mohamed Saeed Dehi from Yemen and Mazen Al Baqer from Sudan, received the Excellence Degree in the
sciences and arts of different oud Schools, under the supervision of Master Ahmed Humaid, and and follow-up of
Nassir Shamma, Director of Arabian Oud House in Abu Dhabi.
The jury was made up of Waleed Fayed from Egypt, Sadeq Jafaar from Iraq and Dr. Habib Ghloom, Manager of
Activities Department at the UAE Ministry of Culture.
The two musicians played a duet and then each of them began to play his own piece as per the graduation program.
Mohamed Saeed played ‘Bab Toma’ by Nassir Shamma, and then he followed this with five different pieces, ending
his programs with Al Khayyam Quatrain by great composer Riadh Al Sumbati.
Mazen Al Baqr began his playing with a piece from the Sudanese traditional heritage, then played three pieces by
Nassir Shamma and other different pieces.
During the ceremony, Nassir Shamma announced the inauguration of the Oud House in Malaysia, referring that
the establishment of the Oud House in Abu Dhabi was aimed at turning the house into a musical hub for the GGC
countries. The center began to expand to other Arab countries and then to Southeast Asia, in addition to its role as
a breeding place for the UAE citizens interested in this elevated art.
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Abu Dhabi to host December 2014 Volvo Ocean Race stopover
Abu Dhabi city will host the third 2014/15 Volvo Ocean Race stopover in December next year.
Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), which brought the ‘Everest of Sailing’ to the Arabian Gulf
for the first time in 2012 and is behind its return, has also confirmed its Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team will contest
the 2014/15 campaign. The outfit will again be skippered by Britain’s double Olympic medallist, Ian Walker, who led
the Arabian entry to a number of Leg and In-Port wins on its maiden title tilt in the last edition.
“Our involvement with the Volvo Ocean Race captured the imagination of our people, who have strong maritime
heritage links,” said His Excellency Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman, TCA Abu Dhabi. “The legacy
of the last race is an increase in the breadth of sailing and watersport facilities available, which is something
we will build on over this second outing. In 2012 over 120,000 visitors joined in the stopover celebrations at our
dedicated waterfront race village – and we will be looking to build on our reputation of delivering a stand-out
stopover experience that is talked about long after the fleet has left.”
Abu Dhabi made waves on the global sailing scene with its hosting of the world’s premier offshore sailing race in
January 2012. The event galvanised the emirate’s watersports industry with a wealth of sailing centres, yacht
charter companies and state-of-the-art marina facilities coming online over the last 12 months, with more expected.
TCA Abu Dhabi believes the return of the ‘Everest of Sailing’ and its Emirati development programme, which saw Abu
Dhabi Ocean Racing’s UAE national crew member Adil Khalid become the first Arab to competitively circumnavigate
the world, will re-energise the emirate’s credentials as a world-class watersports destination.
New This Month page40
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Exhibitions - Al Moryat By Khalid Al Mikdadi
Date: 11- 24 Mach 2013 - Venue: Abu Dhabi Theater
Iraqi artist - resident in the U.A.E. He gained a diploma from Fine Art Institution in Baghdad in 1983 and a baccalaureate
from Fine Arts College in Baghdad in 1993.
He participated in several Exhibitions since 1986 such as; Babylon International Festival in Baghdad (1995-1999), Al
Wasitti Arts Festival in Baghdad (1989-1991).
Sharjah International Arts Biennale (1999- 2001), Bangladesh International Arts Biennale (2002), The International
exhibition (Friends) Stockholm-Sweden (2004).
He supervised number of specialized workshops such as: Workshop at School of Architecture & Design, American
university of Sharjah and at Technical College for girls in Sharjah University (2000) Workshops at Sharjah Arts Galleries
(1999-2002).
Workshop at Emirates Fine Arts association (2011) workshop at Edvisk School of art Stockholm-Sweden (2004).
He was awarded number of prizes and certificates of recognition such as: the first prize, Xerographic Symposium from
Emirates Fine Arts association in 1998.
The first Prize, in the field of Installation Sharjah International Biennale in 2001, the second and third prize in the field of
Workshops of Emirates fine Arts association in 2010-2011, A recognition Prize from Al Burdah Award of the Ministry of
Culture in the UAE in 2011, the first prize from the International Hunting & Equestrian Exhibition in Abu Dhabi in 2012.
New This Month page42
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Ronald Codrai © TCA Abu Dhabi
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Welcome page 48
The National Library News page 49
Latest Arrivals - Periodicals - Books page 50
Book Reviews page 54
What the world is reading page 60
What children and teens are reading page 62
Letters perfume page 64
Welcome
“A book is the melting pot of science, civilization, culture, knowledge, literature and arts. Nations are not measured only
by wealth, but also by their cultural originality of which book is the basis and the underpinning factor.”
National Library News
•
The Authority has taken part in the 41st edition of Delhi International Book Fair, inaugurated by the State Minister
of the Human Resource Development Ministry, Shashi Tharour, at Brughati Square in New Delhi. The Fair is held
annually instead of biennially in the past. Inauguration was made in presence of two honor guests, Kern Singh,
Head of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, and the French Ambassador, Francois Richier. The Authority’s
publications, including Kalima and Qalam projects and other publications of the National Library, have attracted the
attention of the dignitaries who visited the fair, along with a large number of the public.
•
As part of its weekly activities, Children Library in
Bateen, an affiliate of the National Library, hosted
a number of Zayed Center Special Needs students
(deaf), presented readings of children stories
accompanies by translation into sign language.
Children enjoyed reading a number of adventure
stories and other tales encouraging work and
promoting ethics.
Late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Through these words, late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of this state and builder of its renaissance,
expressed his great interest in books, being the mainstay of civilization and nations’ ability to achieve progress. Late
Sheikh Zayed firmly believed that the reader is the only person capable of creating future. These words were said at the
inauguration of the Islamic Book Fair which was held as the first activity of the Cultural Foundation on May 3, 1981. In an
initiative reflecting the ability to explore the future and keenness on having an entity providing the tools and resources
of culture, late Sheikh Zayed gave his instructions in 1981 to build the National Library. It was built to be an effective
establishment in preserving the intellectual heritage of the UAE and providing readers with all knowledge materials.
In order to achieve its objectives, the National Library adopted a clear strategy through which different knowledge
materials are acquired along with printed material related to the Arabic and Islamic civilisations throughout history. Such
materials are focused on scientific and knowledge achievements of Arab scientists in the fields of sciences, literature
and arts and generally their role in enriching Islamic culture.
Providing studies related to Arabic calligraphy and its history, studies made on Arabic manuscripts and their publication,
and providing references and sources chronicling Arabic calligraphy or tackled it in all aspects.
Providing children books in Arabic, English and French, and setting criteria for acquiring such type of materials in a way
that ensures coverage of all age groups, while taking into consideration the needs and interests of each age group,
giving special care to technical production and the credibility of information.
Acquiring publications, archive materials, maps and university theses related to the UAE which cast light on the different
historical stages of the UAE from the beginning of the 19th century until now, utilizing in this respect the Portuguese and
British documents of the pre-federation period.
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Latest Arrivals - Books
National Library page50
The National Library... Joy of Reading... Passion of Knowledge
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Latest Arrivals - Periodicals
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The National Library... Joy of Reading... Passion of Knowledge
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Book Reviews
Tenth of December: Stories
by: George Saunders
London : Random House Publishing
2013. 272 P.
Overview
One of the most important and blazingly original writers of
his generation, George Saunders is an undisputed master of
the short story, and Tenth of December is his most honest,
accessible, and moving collection yet.
In the taut opener, “Victory Lap,” a boy witnesses the
attempted abduction of the girl next door and is faced
with a harrowing choice: Does he ignore what he sees, or
override years of smothering advice from his parents and
act? In “Home,” a combat-damaged soldier moves back in
with his mother and struggles to reconcile the world he
left with the one to which he has returned. And in the title
story, a stunning meditation on imagination, memory, and
loss, a middle-aged cancer patient walks into the woods to
commit suicide, only to encounter a troubled young boy who,
over the course of a fateful morning, gives the dying man
a final chance to recall who he really is. A hapless, deluded
owner of an antiques store; two mothers struggling to do
the right thing; a teenage girl whose idealism is challenged
by a brutal brush with reality; a man tormented by a series
of pharmaceutical experiments that force him to lust, to
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love, to kill—the unforgettable characters that populate the
pages of Tenth of December are vividly and lovingly infused
with Saunders’s signature blend of exuberant prose, deep
humanity, and stylistic innovation.
Writing brilliantly and profoundly about class, sex, love,
loss, work, despair, and war, Saunders cuts to the core of
the contemporary experience. These stories take on the big
questions and explore the fault lines of our own morality,
delving into the questions of what makes us good and what
makes us human.
to three other complete American originals—Barthelme (the
lyricism, the playfulness), Vonnegut (the outrage, the wit, the
scope), and Twain (the common sense, the exasperation).
There is no author I recommend to people more often—for
ten years I’ve urged George Saunders onto everyone and
everyone. You want funny? Saunders is your man. You want
emotional heft? Saunders again. You want stories that are
actually about something—stories that again and again
get to the meat of matters of life and death and justice and
country? Saunders. There is no one better, no one more
essential to our national sense of self and sanity.”—Dave
Eggers, author of A Hologram for the King
Unsettling, insightful, and hilarious, the stories in Tenth
of December—through their manic energy, their focus on
what is redeemable in human beings, and their generosity of
spirit—not only entertain and delight; they fulfill Chekhov’s
dictum that art should “prepare us for tenderness.”
Advance praise for Tenth of December
“Tenth of December shows George Saunders at his most
subversive, hilarious, and emotionally piercing. Few writers
can encompass that range of adjectives, but Saunders is a
true original—restlessly inventive, yet deeply humane.”—
Jennifer Egan, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of A Visit from
the Goon Squad
“George Saunders is a complete original, unlike anyone else,
thank god—and yet still he manages to be the rightful heir
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Book Reviews
My Beloved World
by: Sonia Sotomayor
London: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
2013, 336P.
Overview
The first Hispanic and third woman appointed to the United
States Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor has become an
instant American icon. Now, with a candor and intimacy
never undertaken by a sitting Justice, she recounts her life
from a Bronx housing project to the federal bench, a journey
that offers an inspiring testament to her own extraordinary
determination and the power of believing in oneself.
Here is the story of a precarious childhood, with an alcoholic
father (who would die when she was nine) and a devoted
but overburdened mother, and of the refuge a little girl took
from the turmoil at home with her passionately spirited
paternal grandmother. But it was when she was diagnosed
with juvenile diabetes that the precocious Sonia recognized
she must ultimately depend on herself. She would learn
to give herself the insulin shots she needed to survive
and soon imagined a path to a different life. With only
television characters for her professional role models, and
little understanding of what was involved, she determined
to become a lawyer, a dream that would sustain her on an
unlikely course, from valedictorian of her high school class
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to the highest honors at Princeton, Yale Law School, the
New York County District Attorney’s office, private practice,
and appointment to the Federal District Court before the
age of forty. Along the way we see how she was shaped by
her invaluable mentors, a failed marriage, and the modern
version of extended family she has created from cherished
friends and their children. Through her still-astonished eyes,
America’s infinite possibilities are envisioned anew in this
warm and honest book, destined to become a classic of
self-invention and self-discovery.
then at the law firm of Pavia & Harcourt. From 1992 to 1998,
she served as a judge of the U.S. District Court, Southern
District of New York, and from 1998 to 2009 on the United
States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. In May 2009,
President Barack Obama nominated her as an Associate
Justice of the Supreme Court; she assumed this role on
August 8, 2009.
The New York Times Book Review - Emily Bazelon
“I’ve spent my whole life learning how to do things that were
hard for me,” Sotomayor tells an acquaintance…when he
asks whether becoming a judge will be difficult for her.
Yes, she has. And by the time you close My Beloved World,
you understand how she has mastered judging, too…this
book delivers on its promise of intimacy in its depictions of
Sotomayor’s family, the corner of Puerto Rican immigrant
New York where she was raised and the link she feels to the
island where she spent childhood summers eating her fill
of mangoes…This is a woman who knows where she comes
from and has the force to bring you there.
Meet the Author
Sonia Sotomayor graduated summa cum laude from
Princeton in 1976 and from Yale Law School in 1979. She
worked as an assistant district attorney in New York and
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Book Reviews
Until the End of Time
by: Danielle Steel
New York: Random House Publishing Group,
2013, 336 P.
Preview
Two couples, four decades apart. One believes that if lovers
die, they find each other again in another life. Or perhaps they
wind up as stars side by side in the sky, together forever.
Who knows how it really ends? Danielle Steel breaks new
ground in her career as a perennial New York Times bestseller
with the poignant story of two parallel destinies, and the
kind of love we all hope will be everlasting.
Bill, a dedicated young lawyer working at his family’s
prestigious New York firm, leaves everything he trained for
to follow his dream and become a minister in rural Wyoming.
Jenny, his wife, is a stylist whose heart and soul are invested
in fashion. She leaves the milieu and life she loves to join
him. The certainty they share is that their destinies are
linked forever.
Fast forward thirty-eight years. Robert is a hardworking
independent book publisher in Manhattan who has given
up all personal life to build his struggling business. He is
looking for one big hit novel to publish. Lillibet is a young
Amish woman, living as though in the seventeenth century,
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caring for her widowed father and three young brothers on
their family farm. In secret at night, by candlelight, she
has written the novel that burns within her, and gets it into
Robert’s hands, wrapped in her hand-stitched apron. He
falls in love first with the book, and then with the woman
he has never met, living in the sequestered world of the
Amish—a world without telephones, computers, electricity,
modern conveniences, or cars. Although Lillibet faces
banishment from her family and community, she embraces
the opportunity to publish her novel, and is irresistibly drawn
to the man who has heard her voice. Destiny is at work here.
Fate draws her from her horse-and-buggy life toward his,
and the publication of her novel.
the Mother, Friends Forever, Betrayal, Hotel Vendôme, Happy
Birthday, 44 Charles Street, and other highly acclaimed
novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story
of her son Nick Traina’s life and death, and the memoir of
her work with the homeless, The Gift of Hope.
In the hands of master storyteller Danielle Steel, these two
remarkable relationships come together in unexpected and
surprising ways, as lovers are lost, and find each other again.
If it is true that real love lasts forever and lovers cannot lose
each other, then Until the End of Time will not only comfort
and fascinate us, as destiny does her dance, but it will give us
hope as well. Love and fate are powerful, irresistible forces,
as Steel proves to us here, in a book about courage, change,
risk, and hope . . . and love that never dies.
Meet the Author
Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world’s most
popular authors, with over 600 million copies of her novels
sold. Her many international bestsellers include The Sins of
The National Library... Joy of Reading... Passion of Knowledge
59
What the world is reading
National Library page60
The National Library... Joy of Reading... Passion of Knowledge
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What children and teens are reading
National Library page62
The National Library... Joy of Reading... Passion of Knowledge
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Letters Perfume
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
National Library page64
Robert Frost
Robert Frost was born on March 26, 1874 in San Francisco,
California. He spent the first 12 years of his life there, until his
father, William Prescott Frost Jr., died of tuberculosis. Following his
father’s passing, Frost moved with his mother and sister Jeanie
to the town of Lawrence, Massachusetts. They moved in with his
grandparents, and Frost attended Lawrence High School, where
he met his future love and wife, Elinor White, his co-valedictorian.
After his high school graduation in 1892, Frost attended Dartmouth
University for several months, returning home to work a slew of
unfulfilling jobs. In 1894, he had his first poem, “My Butterfly: an
Elegy,” published in The Independent, a weekly literary journal
based in New York City. With this success, Frost proposed to
Elinor, who was attending St. Lawrence University. She turned
him down because she first wanted to finish school. Frost then
decided to leave on a trip to Virginia, and when he returned, he
proposed again. By then, Elinor had graduated from college, and
she accepted. They married on December 19, 1895, and had their
first child, Elliot, in 1896.
Beginning in 1897, Frost attended Harvard University, but had to drop out after two years due to health concerns. He
returned to Lawrence to join his wife, who was now pregnant with their second child, Lesley, who suffered from mental
illness. In 1900, Frost moved with his wife and children to a farm in New Hampshire—property that Frost’s grandfather
had purchased for them—and they attempted to make a life on it for the next 12 years. Though it was a fruitful time
for Frost’s writing, it was a difficult period in his personal life
The National Library... Joy of Reading... Passion of Knowledge
65
Abu Dhabi National Library new branch location, in the Nahyan Camp area, opposite to bus station and Al Wahda Club, near UNB bank
Email: nlibrary@adach.ae - Tel: 050 310 3402
Special Events this month page69
Arts workshop
Art Workshop Courses From 1 - 31 \ 3
Course Title
Duration
Timing
Jewelry Designing
Sun (Accessory Making Beginner)
wed (Beginner)
Tues (Jewelry Design Level 3)
wed (Jewelry Making Level 3)
Thur (Manufacturing)
10am - 1 pm • 5pm - 8 pm
10am - 1 pm • 5pm - 8 pm
9am - 12 pm • 5pm - 8 pm
10am - 1 pm • 5pm - 8 pm
10am - 1 pm • 5pm - 8 pm
Naida
fashion designing (Beginners)
fashion designing (Advanced)
Sewing (Beginners)
Sewing (Advanced)
Tues
Sun
Mon
Wed
10am - 1 pm
5 - 8 pm
10am - 1 pm
5 - 8 pm
Christina
Khorshih and Knitting
Wed
9:30am - 12:30 pm
Maggie
Art of Ebru
Tues
Wed
9:30am - 12:30 pm
5:00pm - 8:00 pm
Badeia
Arts Workshop page70
Instructor
Course Title
Duration
Timing
Instructor
Painting
‫‏‬Mon & Wed
6pm - 8 pm
Adel
Painting & Acrylic Techniques
Thu
9am - 12pm
Ufuk
‫‏‬Arabic Calligraphy
Sun /Ladies
Sun /Ladies
Wed /Men
Wed / Advanced
10 - 12 am
6 - 8 pm
6 - 8 pm
6 - 8 pm
Mandi
P‫ ‏‬hotography Advanced (Arabic)
‫‏‬Photography Advanced (English)
Sun & Wed
Tues
6pm - 8pm
6pm - 8pm
Nasser
Saeed
Painting
Mon & Wed
Tues
10am - 12 pm
5pm - 8 pm
Gina
Painting
Tues
Mon & Tues
9 - 12 am
6 - 8 pm
Jack Lee
Painting
‫‏‬Sun & Thu
6pm - 8 pm
Amjed
‫‏‬Acrylic & Water Color
Sun
Thu
9 - 12 am
9 - 12 am
Karine
Sculpture
‫‏‏‬Sun & Tues
‫‏‬Mon & Wed
‫‏‬Mon & Wed
10am - 12 pm
10am - 12 pm
6pm - 8 pm
Svilen
Ceramic & Painting on Ceramic
Mon & Wed
Tues
10 am - 12 pm
5 pm - 8 pm
Sathi
Silk Painting
Glass Painting
Mon
Thu
9am - 1 pm
5pm - 8 pm
Tamara
‫‏‬Painting
Sun & Tues
10 - 12 am
Noor
For Registration: 1 Passport Copy /1 Personal Photo.
For Information Call: 02- 6576355 / 02 - 6576352 - Doors Open from: 8:00am till 8:00pm
71
Special Events this month page73
Talents & Creativity
Center
Talents & Creativity Center Courses
March evening courses from: 3/3– 28/3
Courses
Activity
Day
Drawing
Mon + Wed
Handicraft
Sun + Tue
Music “Piano”
Sun + Tue
Music “Organ”
Sun + Tue
Arabic Calligraphy
Mon + Wed
French Language
Mon + Wed
Timing
6 – 7 pm
7 – 8 pm
5 – 6:30 pm
5 – 6 pm
6 – 7 pm
7 – 8 pm
6 – 7 pm
6 – 7 pm
5 – 6 pm
6 – 7 pm
Talents & Creativity Center page74
Instructor
Jehan
Reham
Julia
Mohammed
Mohammed Ali
Sabrina
Age: 6 – 15
• Age group will be decided according to the nature of the course
For further information please contact the following numbers
02/6576366 - 02/6576365 - 02/6576367
75
Special Events this month page77
Arabian Oud House
Arabian Oud House Courses Schedule
Highlighted Events in March
Events
Where
Dates
Timing
Qasr al Hosn
Festival
Qasr Al Hosn
Fort
28/02/2013
09/03/2013
Different
timing
Health & Fitness
Fun Day 2013
ADNEC
03/03/2013
04/03/2013
10:00 AM
08:00 PM
Al Ain Spring
Fair 2013
Al-Ain Convention
Centre
03/03/2013
24/03/2013
10:00 AM
11:00 PM
Abu Dhabi Int
Triathlon 2013
BreakWater
Cornaish
02/03/2013
Please refer to
event schedule
Abu Dhabi
Festival 2013
Emirates Palace
Auditorium
03/03/2013
31/03/2013
Different
timing
STING Live
in concert
du Arena
Yas Island
14/03/2013
07:00 PM
03:00 AM
Inspirational
Women of Fitness
Al Bateen Secondary 08/03/2013
School
04:00 PM
07:00 PM
ZSC 5K & 10K Run
Zayed Sport
City
08/03/2013
07:00 AM
Int Jewellery
& Watch Show
ADNEC
14/03/2013
18/03/2013
04:00 PM
10:00 PM
Abu Dhabi
ADNEC
Electronics Shopper
14/03/2013
18/03/2013
11:00 AM
11:00 PM
Teacher
Timing
Day
Subject
Master Sherin
4 pm – 10 pm
Monday + Wednesday
Oud Class
Master Ahmed Hamed
4 pm – 10 pm
Monday + Wednesday
Oud Class
Master Sherin
10 am- 3 pm
Sunday + Tuesday
Ous Class
MasterAhmed Hamed
10 am- 3 pm
Sunday + Tuesday
Oud Class
Master Bassa
4 pm- 10 pm
Saturday to Wednesday
Kanoun Class
“Abu Dhabi Events” is the official events website for all the happenings in the
Emirate of Abu Dhabi throughout the year. Sign up now and personalise your
account with all the events that interest you.
Master Fathall
4 pm- 10 pm
Saturday,Monday,Wednesday
Folk Singing
Visit abudhabievents.ae today.
Master Layth
4 pm- 10 pm
Saturday, Wednesday
Singing
Arabian Oud House page78
twitter.com/abudhabievents
www.facebook.com/abudhabievents
www.youtube.com/abudhabievents
Popular This Month
Special Events this month page81
Al Qattara Arts Centre
Al Qattara Arts Centre (Al Ain)
Course Title
Days
Timings
Instructor
Arabic Calligraphy
Tue/Ladies
Tue/Mix
1012- am
68- pm
Mohammad Mandi
Sun & Wed
Mon & Thu
1012- am
Mon & Thu
46- pm
68- pm
Drawing / Painting
For Children
Wed
57- pm
Photography
Mon
6-8 pm
Drawing / Oil Painting
Ali Hammad
Nasser Hajji
For registration please bring a copy of the passport and personal photograph.
For inquires please call 03/7118226 & 03/7118225
Email: qac@adach.ae
The center opens daily from 9 am to 8 pm.
Al Qattara Arts Centre page82
83
Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage,
National Archive
P.O.Box 2380 - Abu Dhabi - UAE
Tel +971 2 657 6171
Fax +971 2 441 8418
www.adach.ae
Dubai
Airport Road
ive
National Arch
Dubai
Cultural Foundation
Airport Road
Airport Road
National Theatre
ive
National Arch
Khaleej Al Arabi Road