ABU DHABI, UAE, 10 October 2024: The Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) has welcomed Sheikha Alyazia bint Nahyan Al Nahyan, the first Extraordinary Ambassador of Arab Culture at the Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), at a dialogue session entitled, “Highlights on the Cultural Embassy Experience… Your Guide to the Cultural Adventure”. The session was organised to give the Academy’s students and attendees the benefit of Sheikha Alyazia’s inspiring career and her efforts in serving Arab culture. The session also highlighted the role of diplomacy in enhancing the UAE’s cultural standing on the international stage and addressed various topics related to Arab heritage.
The session was attended by H.E. Mariam Zayed Almazrouei, Delegate Minister in the Office of Minister of State for International Cooperation, H.E. Nickolay Mladenov, Director General of the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, D. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Dhaheri, Deputy Director General of the Academy, in addition to Ebtesam Alzaabi, Acting Secretary General of the UAE National Commission at the Ministry of Culture, and Dr. Hana Saaed Alkaabi, Head of Public and Cultural Affairs section at Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Fatima Alnsour, Regional organizations expert at the Ministry of Culture, Shatha Abdulrahman Alghardaqa, Cultural Affairs Specialist at MOFA, and Elham Salem Albreiki, Cultural Affairs Specialist at MOFA.
The session opened with a welcome speech delivered by H.E. Nickolay Mladenov, where he stressed the importance of the role of women in shaping the future of cultural diplomacy and building bridges between different cultures, saying: “Women play a pivotal role in shaping a vibrant and inclusive global dialogue, and Sheikha Alyazia’s career stands as a powerful example of this influence. This session provided our students with a unique opportunity to learn from a remarkable leader whose impact spans across diverse fields. Our goal is to shine a light on the vital contributions women make in advancing cultural exchange.”
“Diplomacy has long been a bridge between cultures and communities, but today, it goes beyond formal negotiations. It encompasses the exchange of ideas and cultural values that foster deeper mutual understanding. Leaders like Sheikha Alyazia exemplify this spirit, contributing significantly to international cultural collaboration through their vision of openness and mutual respect.”
Sheikha Alyazia bint Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan spoke about her experience as the UAE’s Extraordinary Ambassador of Arab Culture to ALECSO and the challenges she faced in this role. She stressed that cultural fields have become a top priority for countries seeking to preserve their heritage, noting that this field carries many challenges, just like other creative fields.
Sheikha Alyazia explained that there are two types of interaction with culture, either positive or negative, but she stressed that no one can remain neutral towards culture or unaffected by it, adding: “We set out behind the vision of the wise leadership of the UAE, which supports the activation of joint cultural work with Arab countries, where we organised, in cooperation with ALECSO, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture, and several partners, the longest Arab cultural programme, the ‘Arab Cultural Guide’, which lasted for nine months and included the participation of 16 Arab countries.”
Sheikha Alyazia also gave an overview of the work of the first ALECSO Cultural Embassy,stressing that culture is a mirror that reflects the identity and history of people. At the end of the session, the floor was opened for discussion with the attendees to answer their questions, where Sheikha Alyazia thanked the Academy’s management, the attendees, and the students.
