Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Member of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Tolerance, stressed that the existence of channels for dialogue, understanding and joint work with all people is essential for the Emirates to be a successful country, enjoying security, stability and prosperity, and achieving development and progress in all fields, but also a country that advocates issues of right and justice And peace is everywhere. Stressing that openness to the world is one of the most important features of the wise vision of the country's march, and its wise leadership, represented by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and his brother His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and His Highness members of the Supreme Council and the rulers of the Emirates, who always affirm that tolerance, understanding and coexistence between all is the path to a successful society, and to a world of peace and prosperity.

Sheikh Nahyan, in his speech during the opening of the “High Abu Dhabi Festival” yesterday afternoon, in Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi, expressed his confidence that the festival, with all its intellectual, cultural and artistic richness, will come out with many important benefits and achievements aimed at achieving development in Arab culture, literature and arts With what contributes to enriching life for all, he called on all segments of society to attend the festival’s activities and enjoy the unique experiences it offers, adding that he is fully confident that the festival will be successful in achieving its desired goals, in confirming Abu Dhabi’s cultural and artistic position in the world, and in contributing to Development of cultural reality Arabic for the better.

An important platform

The festival, organized by the Ministry of Tolerance, in cooperation with the Hague Festival for Arts and Arts, over a period of four days, represents an important platform, in which everyone participates in the study and debate on cultural, intellectual and artistic development issues, whether at the local, regional or international level, and it is also an opportunity to enhance The place of the Arabic language on the international level, through the wide participation of Emirati and Arab creators in its activities related to Arabic literature and poetry, children's literature and the arts related to it, as well as on human development issues, youth, women and family issues, stressing that the festival relies on all this A unique style in the organization, so that the activities continue throughout the whole day, and in parallel to ensure followers get their right to know and the meeting with the creators and participants.

The opening of the festival, which was held with the participation of 99 international writers, artists and thinkers, witnessed each of the President of the Federal National Council Saqr Ghobash, Minister of Affairs of the Supreme Council of the Federation Ahmed Juma Al Zaabi, Minister of State Maitha Al Shamsi, Dr. Zaki Nusseibeh, Minister of State, and Head of the Community Development Department Dr. Mugheer Al Khaili.

An opportunity for dialogue

The International Director of "Hay Festival", Christina Fuentes La Roche, expressed her happiness at the launch of the first edition of the "Abu Dhabi Festival", which is gaining increasing importance as a global dialogue witnessing fruitful participation and inspiring new opinions. Noting that the festival includes many ideas and dialogues, which makes it an important festive occasion, interspersed with distinguished evening performance shows.

The director of the High Peter Florence Festival described tolerance as a magic thread that connects people of different ideas, personalities, nationalities, and cultures. He pointed out the importance of the festival as an area for talking, as well as listening to and communicating with the other. He added: «We are on a date for the next four days with a unique experience, during which we meet the most prominent literary, poetic and intellectual minds, to get to know their inspiring stories and contributions, which enables us to visualize what the world will look like in the future. The festival is a holistic platform, which hosts various inspiring voices speaking in many languages ​​within fruitful dialogues, making it a prominent meeting place to envision the future and imagine its features. We are pleased to welcome all visitors of all ages at Manarat Al Saadiyat, to join us in this exceptional cultural demonstration in all the meaning of the word. ”

Between tolerance and literature

The Chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Adeeb Mohammed Al-Murr Foundation stressed that the most important thing he learned from his readings is that a person should not be satisfied with what he has, and that he is characterized by a constant desire to develop himself and his community, which requires effort and patience.

Murr spoke, during the session held yesterday afternoon, within the festival activities, under the title "Life with Literature", about the concept of tolerance in his life, explaining that he formed through three stages, the first was formed thanks to his readings of a group of Egyptian writers, who were the flags of the Arab Enlightenment In that period, such as Salama Musa, Al-Aqad, and others whose ideas formed in conjunction with the revolution of 1919, and it is a joint revolution in the history of Egypt, because it was the beginning of the formation of the modern state, and this was accompanied by a great progress in thought, the emancipation of women, and the elaboration of the 1923 constitution, which is considered the greatest Constitutions in the Arab region. Pointing out that the most prominent characteristic of these people is their reconciliation with themselves, and with Western thought, in contrast to the trend of political Islam, they combined between adhering to their Arab-Islamic origins on the one hand, and their openness to Western culture on the other hand, which opened his mind to the importance of learning To Western civilization and benefit from it.

As for the second stage of his relationship with the concept of tolerance, he represented his travel to study in America, and his openness there to different culture and arts, while the third stage was related to his return to the Emirates again.

As for the writer Rashid Khion, his intervention focused on the role of literature and poetry in tolerance, stressing that writers are more influential on people than jurists, unlike the commoner, as the jurist depends on rules, laws and fatwas, while writers depend on emotions, which makes them closer to influencing people.

5,000 students

The activities of the first day of "High Abu Dhabi" accompanied the school children program, in which 5,000 students from 75 government and private schools participate, and the British writer, Andy Stanton, expressed his happiness to present a session during which he met with this number of UAE children, who communicate with them the pleasure of writing for the child Himself, and that he did not find any trouble in communicating with them and talking, but rather found a lot of beauty and imagination that they enjoy, and that he carries the heart of a child who can easily discover beauty, which he found in Abu Dhabi. Regarding the features of tolerance and coexistence, which he observed during his participation in the festival, he stressed that the Emirati society does not find any trouble at all in coexistence and communication, as it is a society that is considered to be the most important aspect of diversity.

• The festival is a platform for discussing cultural, intellectual and artistic development issues.

• The festival is held with the participation of 99 international writers, artists and thinkers.