Highlights to include session exploring values of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 24 April, 2018:  A host of leading intellectuals, academicians and decision-makers will discuss key issues that dominate today’s cultural landscape at the Sea of Culture Foundation’s Literary Salon set to run on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2018.

Organised by the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, the fastest-growing book fair in the MENA region will take place from 25 April to 1 May at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

The Book Salon will feature a series of sessions addressing a wide range of topics, such as modern technology in regional and global culture, the future of writing and reading, and the role of culture in shaping the future of humanity.

A much-anticipated session at the event includes a talk with Professor Abla Al Nowais that will explore the values of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, who is fondly referred to as the Mother of the Nation.

Furthermore, the event will feature the launch of the UAE Women’s Encyclopedia by Dr Rafia Ghubash, Dubai-based psychiatrist and epidemiologist, and former president of the Arabian Gulf University in Bahrain.

The session will emphasise the pivotal role women play in driving the country’s progress and shine a spotlight on prominent Emirati female role models, including Sheikha Salama bint Butti, mother of the founding father of the UAE, late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Other distinguished speakers will include Her Excellency Dr Aisha bin Bishr, Director General of the Smart Dubai Office, His Excellency Jamal bin Huwaireb, CEO of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, His Excellency Abdullah Al Majid, Assistant Undersecretary for Support Services at the Ministry of Justice, and His Excellency Omar Saif Ghobash, UAE Ambassador to France.

Also on the agenda is the screening of a selection of famous films based on seminal novels, including Naguib Mahfouz's Adrift on the Nile, Gabriel García Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera and Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind.