emirates7 - The third edition of the Arabian Days Festival, organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, launched yesterday at Manarat Al Saadiyat with a vibrant showcase of music, education, film, heritage, and interactive experiences.
Under the theme ‘Arabic is the Vibe’, the opening day showcased contemporary and traditional Arabic culture across the festival grounds through a rich, interactive programme, welcoming audiences ranging from schoolchildren and university students to educators, artists, and families. Intellectual engagement was a key theme, with the AI in Arabic Language Teaching Conference, in partnership with NYU Abu Dhabi, kicking off a two-day programme on the future of language pedagogy.
Led by Dr Attia Youseif of Indiana University alongside regional experts, the conference examined how artificial intelligence is reshaping Arabic language instruction. Educators, curriculum designers and policymakers took part in sessions exploring AI-enhanced assessment, adaptive learning tools and classroom practices. Concurrently, the CNN Arabic Storytelling Bootcamp equipped a new generation of content creators with practical media skills.
During the opening address, Dr Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, affirmed that Arabian Days is no longer merely an annual celebration held to coincide with UNESCO’s World Arabic Language Day, but has evolved into a cultural platform that calls for renewing the relationship with the Arabic language as a language of life, presenting innovative experiences in music, arts and culture, and supporting and enriching the creative sectors with the spirit of Arabic in contemporary and engaging forms.
The evening’s cultural richness was showcased at the Auditorium’s ‘Melody and Poetry: Heritage as a Source of Contemporary Creativity’ panel.
The session, featuring renowned musician Lena Chamamyan and poet Dr. Mahdi Mansour and moderated by Rawane El Helou, offered insights into the living bridge between classical art and modern expression, tracing the evolution of Arabic poetry and music from classical forms to contemporary interpretation, reflecting on how tradition continues to inspire new artistic creativity.
The session offered distinctive insights into the living connections between classical art forms and contemporary modes of expression, tracing the evolution of Arabic poetry and music from traditional forms to modern interpretations, and affirming the continued ability of heritage to inspire innovative artistic creation. The session also highlighted the collaboration between Dr Mahdi Mansour and Lena Chamamyan, which resulted in the release of a song based on one of his classical poems, which they performed live for the audience.
Music and storytelling took centre stage at ‘Bonfire: Musical Tales – Sung Poetry’, featuring Fayez Al Saeed, Ali Al Khawar and an accompanying oud artist in an intimate open-air setting. Organised in collaboration with Sounds of the UAE, the bonfire discussion examined how music acts as a vessel for memory and a means of transmitting stories, values and histories across generations. The session opened with Fayez Al Saeed performing a poem written by the UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the profound influence of his poetry across generations was highlighted.
Across the Youth Hub, young visitors engaged with a photo booth, interactive graffiti wall, and a lively Coffee Party featuring live DJ sets and ADF Over-Ink temporary tattoos. A crowd favourite, Tunisian filmmaker and digital creator Samy Chaffai engaged multigenerational audiences with his motivational ‘How Social Media Helped Me with My Film Career’ workshop. The next two days will continue to feature workshops and activities focused on creativity, personal branding and content creation.
In The Garden, families enjoyed an all-day schedule of Arabic board games and the Arabic Beats Lab, alongside bilingual performances. The puppet Different Together introduced younger audiences to themes of friendship, inclusion and celebrating what makes us unique in both English and Arabic, while the musical theatre performance Tale As Old As Time presented some of Disney’s most loved songs in both languages.
In parallel, Arab Film Studio, screened a selection of short films and documentaries, including Ummi, Umm Salama the Matchmaker, Bundle of Joy, Umah and Luminary.
Under the theme ‘Arabic is the Vibe’, the opening day showcased contemporary and traditional Arabic culture across the festival grounds through a rich, interactive programme, welcoming audiences ranging from schoolchildren and university students to educators, artists, and families. Intellectual engagement was a key theme, with the AI in Arabic Language Teaching Conference, in partnership with NYU Abu Dhabi, kicking off a two-day programme on the future of language pedagogy.
Led by Dr Attia Youseif of Indiana University alongside regional experts, the conference examined how artificial intelligence is reshaping Arabic language instruction. Educators, curriculum designers and policymakers took part in sessions exploring AI-enhanced assessment, adaptive learning tools and classroom practices. Concurrently, the CNN Arabic Storytelling Bootcamp equipped a new generation of content creators with practical media skills.
During the opening address, Dr Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, affirmed that Arabian Days is no longer merely an annual celebration held to coincide with UNESCO’s World Arabic Language Day, but has evolved into a cultural platform that calls for renewing the relationship with the Arabic language as a language of life, presenting innovative experiences in music, arts and culture, and supporting and enriching the creative sectors with the spirit of Arabic in contemporary and engaging forms.
The evening’s cultural richness was showcased at the Auditorium’s ‘Melody and Poetry: Heritage as a Source of Contemporary Creativity’ panel.
The session, featuring renowned musician Lena Chamamyan and poet Dr. Mahdi Mansour and moderated by Rawane El Helou, offered insights into the living bridge between classical art and modern expression, tracing the evolution of Arabic poetry and music from classical forms to contemporary interpretation, reflecting on how tradition continues to inspire new artistic creativity.
The session offered distinctive insights into the living connections between classical art forms and contemporary modes of expression, tracing the evolution of Arabic poetry and music from traditional forms to modern interpretations, and affirming the continued ability of heritage to inspire innovative artistic creation. The session also highlighted the collaboration between Dr Mahdi Mansour and Lena Chamamyan, which resulted in the release of a song based on one of his classical poems, which they performed live for the audience.
Music and storytelling took centre stage at ‘Bonfire: Musical Tales – Sung Poetry’, featuring Fayez Al Saeed, Ali Al Khawar and an accompanying oud artist in an intimate open-air setting. Organised in collaboration with Sounds of the UAE, the bonfire discussion examined how music acts as a vessel for memory and a means of transmitting stories, values and histories across generations. The session opened with Fayez Al Saeed performing a poem written by the UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the profound influence of his poetry across generations was highlighted.
Across the Youth Hub, young visitors engaged with a photo booth, interactive graffiti wall, and a lively Coffee Party featuring live DJ sets and ADF Over-Ink temporary tattoos. A crowd favourite, Tunisian filmmaker and digital creator Samy Chaffai engaged multigenerational audiences with his motivational ‘How Social Media Helped Me with My Film Career’ workshop. The next two days will continue to feature workshops and activities focused on creativity, personal branding and content creation.
In The Garden, families enjoyed an all-day schedule of Arabic board games and the Arabic Beats Lab, alongside bilingual performances. The puppet Different Together introduced younger audiences to themes of friendship, inclusion and celebrating what makes us unique in both English and Arabic, while the musical theatre performance Tale As Old As Time presented some of Disney’s most loved songs in both languages.
In parallel, Arab Film Studio, screened a selection of short films and documentaries, including Ummi, Umm Salama the Matchmaker, Bundle of Joy, Umah and Luminary.