Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the city of Sidi Bou Said in Tunisia hosted the fifteenth edition of the Sharjah Cultural Awards Forum, honouring four Tunisian writers Dr. Al Manji Al Kaabi, Al Tahami Al Hani, Dr. Fawzia Al Zaouq and Salem Al Shaabani.
The forum comes in implementation of the directives of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, to honour literary figures who have contributed to serving contemporary Arab culture and it is held for the third time in Tunisia after celebrating, in two previous sessions, an elite group of Tunisian writers.
The honouring ceremony was held at the Nejma Ezzahra Palace in the historic city of Sidi Bou Said, in the presence of His Excellency Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Owais, Head of the Department of Culture in Sharjah, Her Excellency Dr. Hayat Qatat Al Qarmazi, Tunisian Minister of Cultural Affairs, Her Excellency Dr. Iman Al Salami, UAE Ambassador to Tunisia, Professor Muhammad Ibrahim Al Qasir, Director of the Department of Cultural Affairs, and a group of intellectuals, writers, and families of the honourees.
The opening ceremony began with a presentation on Sharjah’s role in supporting Arab creators, in addition to reviewing the creative biographies of the four honourees, and the rich literary production they achieved during years of diligent cultural work.
In his speech, Abdullah Al Owais stated that joy and happiness are renewed with the renewal of the cultural encounter in Tunisia. With every visit, this brotherly Arab country opens its doors to receive Sharjah’s cultural initiatives with great welcome, which confirms the depth of the fraternal relations that unite the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Tunisia, under the wise leadership that believes in the importance of Arab integration in all fields.
Abdullah Al Owais added: “Here we are today, in the fifteenth session of Sharjah Cultural Awards Forum honours four Tunisian writers, which represents an important aspect of the existing cooperation between Sharjah Department of Culture and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, leading the forum to be held in Tunisia for the third time.”
Al Owais pointed out the importance of renewing cultural meetings, saying that it is a dear occasion for us to gather in this historic place, while Sharjah Cultural Awards Forum honours four Tunisian writers renews its cultural presence in green Tunisia, to celebrate four Tunisian creators who enriched the Arab literary scene with great creative production, and wove the most beautiful poems from the threads of creativity, novels, stories, and literary criticism.
At the beginning of her speech, Her Excellency Hayat Al Qarmazi extended thanks and gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, the owner of this lofty initiative and who is present in great honour with his work, which covers different Arab countries, and who honours the creators of culture in the Arab world, which embodies fruitful Arab cultural communication in its finest manifestations.
Al Qarmazi also expressed her thanks to the Department of Culture in Sharjah, for its tireless keenness to honour Arab creators who are symbols of thought and literature through the “Sharjah Cultural Awards Forum”.
Al Qarmazi concluded her speech congratulating the honourees at the forum.
The honourees at Sharjah Cultural Awards Forum confirmed that Sharjah is making a great cultural effort in serving creativity and creators, and they expressed their happiness with the honour, considering that honouring them at this forum is the pinnacle of honours.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Owais and Mohammed Al Qaseer, accompanied by Al Qarmazi and Al Salami, handed over certificates of appreciation to the four honourees, signed by His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, in honour of their creative efforts.