July 26, 2022 - The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) has announced the launch of two writing workshops, titled ‘UAE Tomorrow’ and ‘Dubai Future’ for August 2022, as part of its Dubai International Program for Writing, which is one of its prominent knowledge projects. The two workshops are designed to enroll young talents in specialized training programs across all genres, under the direction of the best Arab and international instructors.

The Dubai International Program for Writing aims to enrich the intellectual and literary movement in the UAE and around the world, by training an experienced generation in writing and creativity across all fields of knowledge. This is in line with the institution’s plan to extend support and empower young talents in different kinds of writing, to achieve MBRF’s objectives to produce, disseminate, and develop knowledge in societies, as well as empowering future generations to devise sustainable solutions and establish knowledge-based societies.

His Excellency Jamal bin Huwaireb, CEO of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, said: “At MBRF, building knowledge economies and societies has remained our key objective. Most of our initiatives and projects throughout the Arab region and rest of the world support concepts and innovations that promote education, entrepreneurship, and R&D, to drive sustainable development. The Dubai International Program for Writing has made significant strides in recent years to enrich the intellectual and literary movement in the region by consciously working to develop young talent capable of localizing knowledge across a variety of fields to benefit society in the Arab region.”

“The training workshops organized by the program play a pivotal role in helping members acquire knowledge and convey it effectively in the Arabic language, which was and still is the most important tool in the production and dissemination of knowledge across various scientific and literary fields in the region. This year, we are anticipating the graduation of an outstanding group of talented young writers, who will make significant contributions to their society in the future,” he added.

The first workshop, titled ‘The UAE Tomorrow: The Emirates After 50 Years,’ will be launched on August 1, 2022, for four months. The workshop will be under the supervision of trainer Ray Abdel Aal, who will train a group of young writers on the proper framework for writing children's stories in a systematic manner with clear vision, goals, and outputs, while also educating about the art of children’s stories, their elements and focus points, the needs of the age group, and the study of their levels of awareness. It will also focus on the methods of research required for the subject and its relevance to a child’s world and interests, as well as how to develop integrated literature for children that employ humanitarian characters and an interesting fictional plot. The session will conclude with participants completing their own book based on the march of the UAE after 50 years.

The workshop also adopts interactive learning techniques that involve group brainstorming and teamwork, that facilitates exchange of ideas and evaluation of work from the initial idea to the completed output.

The second workshop, titled ‘Dubai Future’ will commence on August 8, 2022, for four months. The workshop will be held under the supervision of trainer Islam Abushakir, who will train writers who have a passion for writing for young readers that envisions Dubai in 50 years, in line with the city's rapid development and growth. The workshop will operate on two levels, with the first one executed through regularly scheduled meetings that will occur five times per month, either in person or virtually using any form of visual communication, and the second one through continuous daily communication using the available digital communication tools.

In addition, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation invited young talents who wanted to apply for the program in June and July, to submit a written application totaling no more than 300 words and no fewer than 100 words, to the email address Dipw@mbrf.ae. The foundation announced that the selection of candidates would be under specific criteria, based on talent and writing skills, in the event that writers pass the evaluation stage.

The Dubai International Program for Writing, which was launched in October 2013, included over 300 young men and women who were trained in different types of writing. The program held several workshops in the UAE, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, and Kuwait. Some of the program's most notable outcomes were a set of books that won prestigious awards, and a number of its trainees that became well-known figures in academic circles and other fields.
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