The Emirati-Kuwaiti Media Forum reviews the roots of the common cultural scene between the two countries

Dubai, January 29 / WAM / Bilal Al-Badour, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Culture and Science Symposium, confirmed that the cultural influence between the United Arab Emirates and the sisterly State of Kuwait began from an early stage, reviewing the role of intellectuals, writers and the media in building a common cultural awareness that contributed to enhancing the strength of historical relations between the two countries and the two brotherly peoples.

This came during a session entitled “The Historical Cultural Landscape of Kuwait in the Emirates… Roots and Features”, within the work of the Emirati-Kuwaiti Media Forum, which was held today at the Museum of the Future in Dubai, within the “Emirates and Kuwait… Brothers Forever” week, which runs from January 29 until next February 4 in all the emirates of the country.

During the session moderated by media personality Hind Al-Naqbi, Al-Badour spoke about the common features and foundations between the UAE and Kuwait in the cultural field, and highlighted the close cooperation in cultural projects that have consolidated the cultural scene in the two countries, noting the extension of this cooperation to contemporary cultural initiatives.

Bilal Al-Badour spoke about the first beginnings of cultural exchange between the two countries, pointing out that pearl diving and the discovery of oil helped shape the common cultural landscape of the two brotherly countries, as they contributed to the departure of many Kuwaiti merchants to the Emirates, including poets who communicated with the country’s poets and exchanged poems with the people of the Emirates and its poets.

He pointed out that the publication of the Old Kuwait magazine, which had agents in the Emirates and contributed to by writers from the country, constituted a means of cultural communication between the two countries.

He stressed that many of the first children of the Emirates received their education in Kuwait, or in schools established by Kuwait in the Emirates, and that the educational curricula in the two countries were very similar at that time.

Al-Badour mentioned three areas that testified to the depth of historical relations between the two countries, namely education, health, and media. Kuwait took the initiative to support these sectors, before the establishment of the Union State, by establishing schools and hospitals in many of the country’s emirates, in addition to establishing Radio Kuwait from Dubai, and this support continued until after the establishment of the Union.

Al-Badour spoke about the role of intellectuals and writers in building Gulf cultural bridges. He mentioned that there was a group of poets who had councils, and there was daily communication between the poets of the Emirates and Kuwait, in addition to the fact that Emirati writers wrote about Kuwait, and Kuwaiti writers also spoke at length about the Emirates, and each group dealt with highlighting the history and efforts of the second country.

He stressed that the cultural institutions in both the Emirates and Kuwait had a great impact in strengthening the bonds of brotherly relations, especially since the two countries belong to the same geographical region and have cultural, economic and social intertwining, noting that the first cinema in the Emirates was established by a Kuwaiti.

Al-Badour touched on the cooperation between the writers’ unions of the two countries, and the influence of Kuwait on the artistic and theatrical scene in the UAE, as Kuwait played an important role in preparing the first generation of Emirati artists.

He pointed out that cultural institutions and publications had and continue to have a pivotal role in forming a common cultural awareness, noting the impact of the joint cultural initiatives between the two countries on the Gulf scene, stressing the importance of maintaining this common momentum.

He pointed out the importance of benefiting from modern media and transforming knowledge into meaningful cultural content, calling for strengthening joint programs to serve Gulf and Arab culture, stressing that modern cultural projects play a major positive role, and it is important that they continue, develop and maintain their momentum and strength, pointing to the necessity of developing new and innovative cultural programs and media.

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