Latest news with #AlMusallam
Daily Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Bahrain and UK Strengthen Strategic Ties Through Parliamentary Cooperation
Speaker Al Musallam Reaffirms Support During Meeting with British Ambassador Speaker of the Council of Representatives, His Excellency Ahmed bin Salman Al Musallam, has reiterated Bahrain's parliamentary commitment to enhancing the long-standing friendship and strategic partnership between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Kingdom. He emphasized the deep-rooted ties and growing cooperation across all sectors, made possible by the continuous dedication of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of Bahrain, and His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, Head of the Commonwealth. Expanding Bilateral Cooperation Speaker Al Musallam highlighted the House of Representatives' keen interest in advancing collaboration in all developmental sectors. He stressed the importance of constructive engagement with the UK House of Commons to realize mutual goals and serve the shared interests of both nations and their peoples. His remarks came during an official meeting this morning with His Excellency Alastair Long, the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Bahrain. British Ambassador Commends Bahrain's Role Ambassador Long expressed his appreciation for the remarkable progress in Bahrain-UK relations, noting the fruitful coordination and cooperation in various fields. He praised Bahrain's significant role in supporting peace efforts and contributing to sustainable development goals in the region. The ambassador also acknowledged the positive and active role of Bahrain's Council of Representatives in strengthening parliamentary ties between the two friendly countries.
Sharjah 24
22-05-2025
- General
- Sharjah 24
SIACH honours the fifth edition's winners
Film retrospective and opening address The event opened with a warm welcome to attendees, followed by a short film highlighting the award's journey since its inception. Dr Abdulaziz Al Musallam, chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage and chair of the award's board of trustees, delivered the keynote address, emphasising that the award embodies the Ruler of Sharjah's vision for supporting cultural heritage and honouring its custodians. He noted that Sharjah has become a global model in safeguarding and promoting heritage. Dr Al Musallam stated that Sharjah launched this award as an international platform to acknowledge excellence in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. Today, we celebrate scholars, researchers, and storytellers who have left a clear mark in protecting our shared human legacy by underscoring Sharjah's leadership as a bridge for cultural dialogue worldwide. Director's tribute to heritage champions Ms. Aisha Rashid Al-Husan Al-Shamsi, Director of the Award, affirmed that this fifth edition continues the award's successful legacy, which is now firmly established among specialised cultural awards. She explained that the award realises the vision of the Ruler of Sharjah in protecting heritage and celebrating its guardians. This year, it also introduces 'Heritage Personality of the Year' to honour those who have devoted their lives to its preservation. She praised the combined efforts of the organising teams, juries, and supporting entities, which made this event a triumph. Presentation of Awards Sheikh Mohammed bin Humaid Al Qasimi, accompanied by Dr Abdulaziz Al Musallam and Ms Aisha Al Husan, invited the winners to the stage to commence the awards presentation for this edition of the Sharjah International Award for Cultural Heritage. Heritage Personality of the Year Dr Najeeb Abdullah Al Shamsi from the UAE was named Heritage Personality of the Year in recognition of his decades of research and community work in preserving Emirati heritage and preventing its erosion. Winners across the three categories The fifth edition saw distinguished entries from around the globe, distributed across three main domains—local, Arab and international—and nine categories. In the category of Best Conservation Practices, the local award went to the Sharjah Quran Academy for its submission 'The Role of the Academy in Preserving Arabic Manuscript Heritage'. The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts in Saudi Arabia won the Arab award for its study of traditional wooden door craft in Najd. The international award was claimed by the Malaibar Foundation for Research and Development for its 'Malabar Digitisation Initiative'. In the Narrators and Heritage Bearers category, the local storyteller award went to Muhina Ali Obaid Al Sureidi, the Arab Narrator Award was presented to Salman bin Abdullah bin Ahmad Al Hamad of Saudi Arabia, and the international storyteller award was won by Elizabeth Weir of Ireland. In the Research and Studies in Cultural Heritage category, Dr Aisha Ali Ahmed Al Ghaith Al Zaabi received the local research award for her study, 'Traditional Performing Arts and Folk Songs in the UAE.' The Arab research accolade was given to Saeed bin Abdullah bin Mubarak Al Farsi of Oman for his research on constancy and change in Omani fishing traditions, with a case study on North Al Batinah Governorate. The international research award was given to Jean Lambert of France for his study of the qanbūs, a short-necked lute originating in Yemen. The award also honoured several supporting organisations and he expert jury members. About the Award Established by Emiri Decree No. 19 of 2017, the Sharjah International Award for Cultural Heritage is the first Arab award of its kind with a global scope in preserving intangible heritage. The award aims to spotlight outstanding conservation practices, celebrate storytellers, and encourage research that sustains cultural heritage. Academic, cultural, and media institutions worldwide participate in a distinguished ceremony annually to present the award.
Bahrain News Gazette
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Bahrain News Gazette
Speaker of Council of Representatives Emphasizes Role of Responsible Press Freedom in Sustainable Development
Manama: Ahmed bin Salman Al Musallam, Speaker of the Council of Representatives, underscored the crucial role of Bahrain's national press in promoting awareness, shaping public opinion, and maintaining professionalism and responsible freedom, under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. According to Bahrain News Agency, Al Musallam highlighted World Press Freedom Day as an annual global event that honors the press and media professionals for their responsibilities and contributions as strategic partners in national progress and development. He praised the message from His Majesty the King on this occasion, celebrated annually on May 3, which emphasizes the values of peace, coexistence, and ethical media practices, especially amid rapid technological change. The Speaker reiterated that responsible press freedom is a foundation of progressive societies, sustainable development, and a prosperous future. He noted that this year's theme, 'A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis,' underscores the importance of adhering to ethical and professional standards when utilizing artificial intelligence in journalism to protect human rights, community values, and individual privacy. He also commended the Ministry of Information, the Bahrain Journalists Association (BJA), and media institutions for their dedication to upholding professionalism, promoting national identity, fostering loyalty, protecting the right to knowledge, and supporting journalistic talent and training in collaboration with academic institutions. Al Musallam further highlighted the significance of this year's occasion coinciding with the BJA's silver jubilee, marking 25 years since its establishment as the first professional body representing Bahraini journalism. He expressed Parliament's appreciation for the national press's role in covering the legislative authority's work and communicating it to both domestic and international audiences, emphasizing the press's commitment to professional ethics and its role as a true reflection of Bahraini society and its aspirations. In conclusion, Al Musallam emphasized the legislature's commitment to advancing media-related legislation that supports responsible freedom of expression and reinforces the achievements of Bahrain's longstanding press.
Sharjah 24
02-05-2025
- General
- Sharjah 24
SIH participates with more than 1,000 titles at ADIBF 2025
Quality publications The fair showcases a distinguished collection of more than 1,000 titles covering various fields of cultural heritage, including scholarly series, encyclopaedias, dictionaries, and specialised magazines. It also features quality publications from SIH most prominent departments and centres, such as the Academic Department, the Arab Heritage Centre, the Centre for International Cultural Heritage Organisations, and the Sharjah International Award for Cultural Heritage. Ensuring presence of Arab cultural heritage This distinguished participation is part of the Institute's strategy to enhance the presence of Arab cultural heritage in the intellectual and knowledge landscape and to highlight Sharjah's efforts in preserving and documenting it. His Excellency Dr. Abdulaziz Al Musallam, President of SIH said that the institute participation in ADIBF this year comes within the framework of the ongoing efforts to convey the message of heritage to a wider audience of readers, researchers, and interested parties, through solid knowledge production that reflects the richness of the local and Arab cultural heritage. A qualitative addition Al Musallam added that SIH is keen to ensure that the Institute's publications possess scientific value that keeps pace with the aspirations of the cultural movement in the UAE and the region, and we hope that this participation will constitute a qualitative addition that enhances the presence of heritage in intellectual platforms and international exhibitions. Through its participation in major cultural events, SIH continues to highlight the importance of heritage as a fundamental tributary to national identity and an open space for intercultural dialogue. Raising community awareness This is in line with Sharjah's cultural vision and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to make books and knowledge beacons for raising community awareness.
The National
20-04-2025
- The National
What Ibn Battuta found in Sharjah: From Kalba's rivers to Dibba's humid nights
What were famed Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta's first impressions of Sharjah more than 700 years ago? And how did Emirati navigator Ahmad Ibn Majid shape the course of maritime history? These were among the topics explored during discussions at the Sharjah pavilion at the Rabat International Book Fair. Held in the heart of the Moroccan capital and running until April 27, the fair is in its 30th year, with Sharjah participating as guest of honour. As part of its designation, the emirate presented a packed opening weekend programme featuring more than a dozen authors, poets and historians, highlighting the deep-rooted cultural ties between the UAE and the North African kingdom. 'It is an important relationship that still endures today, often in ways we don't realise or tend to take for granted,' said Abdulaziz Al Musallam, chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage. Speaking to The National at the book fair, he pointed to the shared linguistic roots found in everyday Arabic words across the Gulf and Morocco. 'Even our Emirati dialect reflect the connection. We say 'zein' [good], they say 'zwina.' We say gahwa [coffee], they say 'qhwa' or 'qahiwa' – it's the same word, just with different variations.' A celebrated tie between the UAE and Oman, Al Musallam says, is the 14th-century Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta, who sailed along the Arabian Gulf coast and is believed to have passed through Sharjah towns such as Kalba, Khor Fakkan, and Dibba – then largely under the control of Kingdom of Hormuz. "It seems Ibn Battuta arrived during the winter, because he said Kalba had rivers and green meadows. He saw green trees and a flowing valley – it was vast and it's a place with a lot of water. Then he moved on and described Khor Fakkan too," Al Musallam says. "Then, it seems it became summer, so he went to Dibba and said that at night something came down from the sky like molasses – you know, the black syrup. What he saw was humidity. Then he entered the Gulf but didn't refer to it as the Gulf; he called it the Sea of Siraf. That's mentioned in some old manuscripts." Many of these experiences are recorded in The Travels of Ibn Battuta, A.D. 1325–1354, a multi-volume work that has been translated from the original Arabic text and published in various editions over the years. Revered as a cornerstone of travel literature, Ibn Battuta's writings owe their conversational tone and spontaneity to the fact that they were recounted from memory rather than compiled from extensive notes, Al Musallam says. The result is often a rollicking – and at times unfiltered – account of his escapades. 'He was essentially an oral storyteller. From my own experience working with such narrators over the past 30 years, you realise one storyteller can tell the same story in four different ways over four sittings – adding a little here, omitting there. It depends on the audience in that if they like a topic, the storyteller would emphasise it. If not, he downplays or hides it,' he says. 'Ibn Battuta's travelogue represents the Arab model of the wandering narrator – someone unfiltered, sometimes painfully honest. Some people may now find this style inappropriate, but that was normal in Arab storytelling – to say things bluntly, both the good and the bad.' As for Ahmad Ibn Majid, the 15th-century navigator born in Julfar, present-day Ras Al Khaimah, he preferred to share his maritime knowledge through poetry. Many of his verses were compiled in volumes including the seminal Kitab al-Fawa'id fi Usul 'Ilm al-Bahr wa'l Qawa'id (The Book of Useful Information on the Principles and Rules of Navigation) – a work widely regarded as a foundational text of classical Arab navigation. In a Saturday session exploring his influence, UAE poet and researcher Shaikha Al Mutairi states that Ahmad Ibn Majid is also credited as one of the first Arab navigators to describe the use of the compass – thought to have been invented in China as early as the 2nd century BCE and adopted for navigation by the 11th century. 'He described it as a deep cup, and at the bottom of the cup is black paper which influences the direction of the indicator,' Al Mutairi says. 'His father was a great sailor, so Ahmad Ibn Majid inherited this legacy. While we don't have many records of his father, Ahmad's impact spread across the Gulf – not just in the UAE or Oman. Kuwaiti sailors relied heavily on his poetic navigational rhymes. So did sailors in Basra and East Africa.' Another key reason for that wide reach, Al Mutairi notes, is how Ibn Majid transmitted dry and practical information through rajaz verses – a classical form of Arabic poetry often used for improvisation due to its short, repetitive and rhythmic style. 'He uses beautiful literary expressions, powerful introductions and emotive language,' she says. 'There's also a deeper psychological layer in his poetry. Sometimes it feels as if he's defending himself when he says, 'I'm fine. I'm skilled. I'm knowledgeable.' It makes you think – what was he going through at the time? We don't know, but he often states his name and lineage again and again – as a way of affirming his identity.'
