Latifa bint Mohammed meets the winners of the “Arab Geniuses 2024” awards in the architecture, design, literature and arts categories.

Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairwoman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, met with the Jordanian architect Sahel Al-Hiyari, winner of the “Geniuses of the Arabs” Award in the Architecture and Design category, and the Iraqi visual artist Diaa Al-Azzawi, winner in the Literature and Arts category, on the sidelines of The award ceremony was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, to celebrate the unique Arab minds who have achieved great achievements. Distinguished in six pivotal categories: medicine, engineering and technology, economics, natural sciences, architecture and design, literature and arts, highlighting Arab minds that constitute role models for younger generations, and highlighting creative ideas that enhance the position of the Arab region cognitively, scientifically and culturally on the global stage.

Her Highness stressed that the award represents a message of appreciation to the creative community, which constitutes an important part of the rich intellectual stock of the Arab region, and is an important platform for honoring the ideas of Arab geniuses and their exceptional achievements, and highlighting their unique imprints, which contributes to enhancing innovation and creativity and creating inspiring models capable of achieving a scientific and development renaissance in the world. The Arab region in various fields.

Her Highness pointed out that the award embodies the unique thought of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and his keenness to celebrate Arab minds and their positive, influential role in creating a better future for future generations. She said: “Investing in people constitutes the essence of development and the basis for building societies, which is what the award embodies.” “The Geniuses of the Arabs,” which is considered the largest scientific movement witnessed in the region and expresses the authenticity of its distinctive cultural identity. It also reflects Dubai’s interest in empowering thinkers and celebrating people of great minds. Al-Nabha and highlighting their cognitive and scientific contributions in various sectors.”

During the meeting, Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum pointed out the importance of continuing the process of inspiration and leadership in the fields of design, literature and the arts, which constitute basic pillars of the creative economy and contribute to supporting and enhancing the strength of the cultural and creative industries, pointing out that the engineer Sahel Al-Hiyari and the artist Diaa Al-Azzawi Through their unique works and methods, they succeeded in creating qualitative shifts in the sectors of architecture, design, literature, and arts that reflect the depth of the region’s cultural heritage and ancient history. They were also able to contribute to the restoration of Exploring heritage in contemporary ways, enriching the Arab creative scene, and highlighting the region’s distinctive capabilities and competencies.

The meeting was attended by a number of personalities, experts, artists and creative people, most notably Mohammed Ahmed Al Murr, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library, and Hala Badri, Director General of the Authority.
Culture and Arts in Dubai, Benedetta Gioni, Executive Director of Art Dubai, Isabelle Abulhoul, Member of the Board of Trustees of the Emirates Literature Foundation, Ahlam Bolooki, CEO of the Emirates Literature Foundation, Director of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, and Professor Hashem Sarkis, Dean of the College of Engineering and Planning in Dubai. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, artist Dr. Najat Makki, artist Faisal Abdul Qader, artist Fawzi Al-Khulaifi, and other talents in the sectors Culture, arts and design.

Architect Sahel Al Hiyari, winner of the Arab Geniuses Award in the Architecture and Design category, is an inspiring model in presenting architectural designs that reflect originality and innovation by employing traditional crafts in contemporary methods. He is also unique in his philosophy that blends modernity and cultural heritage and his commitment to innovation, which enabled him to lay the foundations A new architectural identity in the region, which was evident in many of the projects he supervised, most notably the Jordanian Archaeological Museum and the Darat al Funun exhibition.

The visual artist Diaa Al-Azzawi is considered one of the most prominent pioneers of contemporary Arab and international art, and he succeeded in creating a distinctive visual language known as “linear compositions” that combine abstraction and cultural symbols. Al-Azzawi is distinguished by his unique contributions to shaping a new artistic identity for the region, in addition to the diversity of his artistic production in the fields of painting, sculpture, and graphic arts, through which he addresses many humanitarian topics.