The Secretariat General of the GCC honours creators from UAE

On the sidelines of the twenty-sixth meeting of GCC Ministers of Culture

The General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) honoured a group of Emirati creatives in different fields of knowledge, art and culture, on the sidelines of the twenty-sixth meeting of the Ministers of Culture of the GCC states. The meeting concluded yesterday evening, Wednesday, October 26, in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

Emirati creators who received felicitations during a ceremony in the presence of HE Mubarak Al Nakhi, Ministry’s undersecretary; were actor and musician Rashid Al Nuaimi; film director Saeed Salmeen Al Marri who were nominated by the Arts and Heritage sector of the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth, in addition to Nasser Abdul Karim Al Darmaki and Ali Abdulrahman Al Meqbali, who specialise in archaeology and museums, and Juma Al Majid Centre for Culture and Heritage.

In a statement, Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, said: "This recognition by the GCC General Secretariat reflects the council’s interest in art and creators. It also goes to show the importance of motivating creators by providing more creative projects that contribute to the intellectual, literary, artistic and cultural development of communities, and support creative production of the people of the GCC."

Her Excellency continued: "We appreciate the efforts of the GCC General Secretariat and its interest in Emirati art and the way it is promoting creators. In the UAE, we are proud of our artists who have enriched the cultural and artistic arenas in the region with their achievements. They have also introduced the world to the Arab and Emirati artistic identity, which secured a spot for our country on the map of global cultural work. Today the UAE is a pioneer and a leading incubator for creativity."

Her Excellency concluded that the interest in creators, artists, thinkers, writers and all those who contribute to enriching the cultural and intellectual movement in the Gulf region is a goal pursued by all GCC countries because they realise that creativity is integral to the development of our society and the growth of our civilization. This honour reflects our vision in motivating our Gulf children and pushing them to continue giving more projects in various fields to achieve the aspirations of their country and consolidate its civilizational identity for the whole world to see.

Biography

Musician Rashid Al Nuaimi has extensive experience in the field of musical arts and is one of the most prominent Emirati artistic voices. Al Nuaimi began his career as an operatic singer and continued to present musical theatre works. He stood out for his creations in the artistic community, winning many international awards including the annual American Elliott Norton Award, and the award for the best musical performance of an actor in the famous play "Oliver" that was performed at the New Reportatory Theatre in Boston.

Saeed Salmeen Al Marri, the maker of the Emirati film "Sayer Al Jannah", which was shortlisted for the IWC Directors' Award, has nine short feature films to his credit, including "Bint Maryam", which won more than 13 international awards, "Haboob", "Cloud of Hope", "Ghabna" and others. He was selected by Digital Studio magazine as the best young Arab director of the year 2007. He also won the Best Emirati Director award at the Dubai International Film Festival 2008.

While Nasser Al Darmaki and Ali Abdul Rahman Al Meqbali were honoured for their active contributions in the field of conservation and rehabilitation of many heritage monuments, Al Darmaki was chosen as a representative of the UAE for the permanent seat on the Board of the International Centre for the Study of the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM). Ali Al Meqbali’s contributions were honoured as part of the national archaeological team formed by the Ministry of Culture and Youth in 2009 in cooperation with the Department of Antiquities and Heritage.

The Juma Al Majid Centre for Heritage and Culture is one of the leading centres in the UAE and the region. The centre was established in 1991 with the support of His Excellency Juma Al Majid to undertake different projects and represent a scientific charity of public benefit concerned with culture and heritage. The centre contributed to the preservation and protection of the national heritage of the UAE. It preserved a large amount of manuscripts and worked on their restoration, and played an active role in providing the appropriate environment for researchers and learners to reach their goal in various fields of knowledge.