Latest news with #AbuDhabiCulturalFoundation
The National
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Million's Poet: The Abu Dhabi competition with Dh15 million at stake
Registrations are now open for the 12th season of Million's Poet, the long-running Arabic competition and television show to promote nabati or Emirati vernacular poetry. Organised by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, the competition has nurtured hundreds of talents since its beginning in 2006, many of whom have become leading figures in the region's poetry scene. The competition's success, with about 17 million TV viewership on Abu Dhabi TV, has even spurred the creation of a dedicated magazine and TV channel for re-runs. It even led the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation to establish the UAE's first nabati poetry academy to embrace the revival of the historic art. Besides overnight fame, Million's Poet offers substantial cash prizes to its finalists totalling Dh15 million, with the main winner of the Poetry Banner or Bayraq Al-Shi'r walking home with Dh5 million. The word "nabati" is used to denote the poetry circulating among the population of the Arabian peninsula in general, unlike the poetry written according to the rules of literary Arabic, for which the Quran is the supreme example. Nabati is a vital component of Emirati literary heritage, and dates back to at least the 14th century. It originated among the Bedouin of the Arabian Peninsula and was first referenced by Islamic scholar Ibn Khaldun in his 1377 work Al Muqaddimah. The competition is open all male and female poets aged between 18 and 45 years. To be eligible, all poets must submit a classical nabati poem with metered verse and rhyme, consisting of no fewer than 10 lines and no more than 18 lines. Submissions must be typed and no handwritten poems will be accepted. Once the registration period concludes, a jury will review and evaluate the submissions, following which shortlisted poets will be invited for in-person interviews. From there, a total of 48 poets will then be selected for the televised round, which will be filmed at Al Raha Beach Theatre in Abu Dhabi. The deadline for submissions is May 15 and can be done through the official website,
Al Etihad
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Etihad
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair: Celebrating decades of cultural, knowledge innovation
26 Apr 2025 15:09 ABU DHABI (WAM) With the opening of its 34th edition today, the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair has successfully reinforced its status as a leading cultural and intellectual destination. Over the decades, it has firmly established the concept of knowledge and cultural sustainability, while promoting the Arabic language's presence within the creative and cultural industries both locally, regionally, and Fair's journey began in 1981 when the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan inaugurated the first edition under the name "Islamic Book Fair' at the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation, with the participation of 50 1986, the first official edition of the Abu Dhabi Book Fair was launched, again at the Cultural Foundation, featuring 70 publishers. The momentum grew in the 1988 edition, with 80 publishers from 10 Arab countries 1993, the event had evolved into an annual fixture, attracting an increasing number of local, regional, and international publishing the new millennium, the 2001 edition attracted around 514 publishing houses, marked by the notable presence of cultural leaders and 2009 edition witnessed the launch of "The Arab E-Library" and attracted 637 publishers from 52 countries. France was the Guest of Honour for the first time in 2014, the fair introduced Al Mutanabbi as the Fair's inaugural 'literary figure of honour', with participation from 1,050 2015, the fair celebrated its Silver Jubilee, honouring the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as pivotal personality of the Year, with 1,181 publishers from 63 countries fair again celebrated Sheikh Zayed in the 2018 edition, coinciding with the Year of Zayed, welcoming 1,350 exhibitors from 63 countries, with Poland selected as the Guest of 2019, India was the Guest of Honour, and for the first time, the 'One Million Tolerant Document' initiative was launched, in line with the UAE's Year of most recent edition saw 1,350 exhibitors from 90 countries under the theme "Where the World's Tales Unfold'. It also welcomed 145 new publishers and participants from 12 countries, including Greece, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Pakistan, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Mozambique, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and an unprecedented move, the current 34th edition (April 26 – May 5, 2025) extends the exhibition period to 10 days for the first time. This aims to encourage innovation within the publishing sector, enhance cultural dialogue, and provide greater support to local and Arab authors by offering more opportunities for networking with international 2025 edition celebrates the Culture of the Caribbean as Guest of Honour, reflecting the UAE's commitment to cultural dialogue. The fair also spotlights Ibn Sina (Avicenna) as the central figure, and features a special tribute to "One Thousand and One Nights" within its rich year's edition features participation from over 1,400 exhibitors from 96 countries, speaking more than 60 languages. Impressively, 120 exhibitors are participating for the first time, marking an 18% growth. Moreover, the fair welcomes publishers from 20 new countries across four continents, speaking more than 25 languages. It hosts 28 international pavilions, 87 local and international government entities, 13 author-publishers, 15 universities, and 8 initiatives dedicated to supporting the publishing industry.
What's On
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- What's On
This hilarious Harry Potter parody is returning to Dubai this February
The magic on our screens may have ended a long, long while ago, but Harry Potter fans in Dubai can relive the magic with this parody performance. Know a muggle (non-magical folk) who hasn't jumped on the Hogwarts Express just yet; this is a great opportunity for them to see what all the fuss is about. An unauthorized Harry Potter experience called Potted Potter is hopping on board the Queen Elizabeth 2 at Mina Port Rashid this month. It takes place across four days, with two shows per day from February 12 to 15. There's an evening show at 7pm and a matinee at 3pm. No matter what show you pick, all will have the same Harry Potter tickling charm that will have you roaring with laughter. The show is great for children ages six and up, and you don't want to miss it because this Olivier Award-nominated show has been a sell-out across the world. In total, all eight Harry Potter movies combined would take up a total of 19 hours and 38 minutes. That's a whole day of Harry Potter if you plan on doing a marathon, but in this show here, the Harry Potter series has been condensed into 70 minutes of pure hilarity. And it even includes a real-life game of Quidditch. The funny show is performed by duo, Scott Hoatson and Joseph Maudsley, who will play all of your favourite Harry Potter characters. There will be endless costumes, brilliant songs, ridiculous props, and even a special appearance from a fire-breathing dragon. To add to the Harry Potter spirit, Theatre by QE2 will provide all the usual favorites available to purchase – popcorn, ice cream, chocolate bars, grape and hop beverages – and possibly chocolate frogs. Tickets are priced at Dhs99 for the show at the QE2, and can be purchased here. Flying over to the capital Stay in Abu Dhabi and don't want to hop on your broom to catch the show? You're in luck because the show will be flying over to the capital the following week. There will be three shows at the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation over on Friday, February 21 (8pm) and February 22 (3pm and 8pm). Tickets are priced at Dhs120 for the show at the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation and can be purchased here. Images: Supplied > Sign up for FREE to get exclusive updates that you are interested in
