The Shamma Bint Mohammed Council for Thought and Knowledge discusses the sensory identity of cities and the role of the family in building society

Abu Dhabi, April 4 / WAM / Sheikha Dr. Shamma bint Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan, Chairwoman of the Council of Thought and Knowledge, confirmed that understanding cities is not complete through their construction only, but rather through feeling them as a living entity that can be seen, heard and lived.

//// Sheikha Dr. Shamma said during an intellectual dialogue session at the Thought and Knowledge Council held yesterday in Abu Dhabi, which discussed two main axes: the sensory identity of cities, and the role of the family in building society… that Abu Dhabi provides a model of a city that is perceived by the senses before description, as its voice is embodied in the voice of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, “may God protect him,” as he tells us, “Do not worry,” thus giving us a feeling of security and stability. And reassurance.////

In her intervention, Sheikha Shamma started from a deep intellectual discussion about the sound of the city, asking how do we hear the place? Can cities be reduced to their architecture, or do they have a soul that is evident in their daily details and the human experience with them? Emphasizing that the sensory identity of cities is formed through the accumulation of human experiences, she pointed out that the smell of oud and Arabic coffee are not just passing details, but rather an expression of a system of values ​​rooted in Emirati culture, while the color of the sand and sea reflects the state of balance between authenticity and openness, and between roots and extension.

She also emphasized that the difference in individuals’ perception of the city is not considered a difference as much as it is a richness that reflects each individual’s special human relationship with the place, considering that true cities are the ones that allow this diversity without losing their comprehensive identity.

In this context, the attendees’ interventions reflected this proposition, as their views on the voice of Abu Dhabi varied. Some considered it to be the voice of leadership with its meanings of safety and stability, while others saw it as the voice of people in the details of their daily lives, while a third group linked it to the sound of the sea, which stores the memory of the place, and others chose to be in the stillness of the city, which gives people space for contemplation.

Despite this diversity, most opinions agreed that Abu Dhabi is consciously perceived as a city of safety before it is emotionally defined as a city of voices.

The participants discussed emotional comparisons with other cities, as Al Ain was associated with tranquility and historical depth, while Dubai reflected in their perceptions the rhythm of movement and ambition, indicating that the identity of cities is shaped by human experience as much as by geography.

In the second societal axis of the meeting, Her Highness stressed that the family represents the first foundation in building a human being, and then building a society, stressing that talking about the future cannot be separated from the family, explaining that the population balance is not just a number, but rather an issue of awareness and culture that requires rebuilding the societal discourse around the family, and enhancing understanding of the social, psychological and economic dimensions associated with it.

Sheikha Dr. Shamma called for the integration of roles between educational, cultural and media institutions to spread this awareness, through specific programs that address new generations in a contemporary language, and link values ​​to the requirements of modern life.

Sheikha Shamma concluded by emphasizing that the sustainability of societies begins from within the family, just as the identity of cities begins from the human feeling for them, pointing out that building place and human beings are two inseparable paths, and that societies that improve their understanding of themselves are the most capable of creating their future.

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