Share your UAE story! Filipinos invited to join writing competition celebrating community, coexistence
The UAE is inviting everyone, including citizens and expatriates of all ages, to share their stories through the national initiative 'What the UAE Means to Me'—a writing competition launched by the Ministry of Tolerance & Coexistence, in line with the declaration of 2025 as the 'Year of the Community.'
Participants can submit creative writings such as short stories, articles, Nabati and classical poetry, or letters and reflections that express their unique experiences and what the UAE means to them. Entries can be written in either Arabic or English.
This is particularly meaningful for the Filipino community in the UAE, one of the largest and most active expatriate groups contributing to the country's growth and development.
During the Philippine Independence Day celebration in Dubai last June, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan bin Mabarak Al Nahyan, specifically encouraged Filipinos to take part in the competition.
'We expect that many of the most moving and powerful entries will come from the Filipino community,' the minister said.
'Those of you who arrived with a dream and built a future—from mothers and fathers raising families, from nurses and teachers, from innovators and caregivers, and from artists and engineers. Your stories matter and the rest of us would love to hear from you,' His Excellency said.
The Philippine Embassy in the UAE has since echoed this call, actively encouraging Filipino residents across the Emirates to participate in the competition and share their unique perspectives and journeys in the UAE.
Entries will be accepted until the end of November 2025 through the Ministry of Tolerance & Coexistence's official channels.
Prizes range from AED 250 for children ages 6 to 12, AED 500 for youths ages 13 to 18, and AED 1,000 for other age groups, while winning submissions will be published in both Arabic and English.
Special celebrations will honor outstanding works, with winners announced during the Human Fraternity Festival in February 2026.
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