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.
