In celebration of World Music Day, which falls on 21 June each year, the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre recently held a session at its headquarters attended by a group of the centre's staff and members of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.
The session included a review of music's presence in the centre's projects, publications and events. Writer and researcher Ali Al Abdan participated, speaking about the art of al-sawt as one of the most prominent Arabic forms of song and music. He also presented his research experience as contained in his book published by the centre, titled Emirati Songs: Their Early Paths and Ancient Sources, offering applied examples of the evolution of song in the UAE in relation to the trajectory of music and singing across the region. The session also featured insights presented by researcher Dr Khalil Al Sheikh on the documentary project tracing the history of Arabic poems set to music and sung throughout history — a project that has to date produced two books: the first, One Hundred and One Sung Poems: Texts and Melodies That Enriched Arabic Music, an investigative journey through the memory of Arabic musical heritage that selects 101 poems from the oldest known texts, which shaped collective sentiment when they became iconic compositions; and the second, One Hundred and One Songs, forthcoming, which continues the journey historically through to the modern era. The celebration also included a practical workshop delivered by oud player Ali Yasser on Arabic musical maqamat, introducing them and the distinctions between them, and engaging attendees in an interactive experience to learn how to identify each maqam.
Cultural projects
The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre's interest in music is reflected through a range of distinguished cultural and intellectual initiatives and projects that embody its commitment to documenting the Arab musical heritage, introducing its aesthetics, and promoting its place as a fundamental tributary of human culture and one of its most influential expressive tools. The centre's efforts span the publication of specialist books, the documentation of Emirati and Arab musical experiences, the organisation of artistic events, the launching of digital partnerships, and the honouring of creative figures.
In this context, the centre has published around 25 books addressing music from multiple angles, including the history of music, artists' experiences, the Emirati song, musical instruments, Arab singing, and folk arts. Among the most notable are: The History of Music in the Arabian Peninsula and Andalusia; The Intermediate Guide to the Rules and Theories of Arabic Music; Jaber Jasim: A Journey of Word and Melody; Musical Instruments in the United Arab Emirates; Arabic Music in One Hundred Years; Umm Kulthum: Poetry and Song; and Emirati Songs: Their Early Paths and Ancient Sources.
The centre has been keen to highlight the exceptional relationship binding poetry, music, and song through publications, projects, and activities that showcase the outcomes of this creative blend. The book One Hundred and One Sung Poems, part of the One Hundred and One Books series, stands as a work that unites Arabic poetry and song by documenting the most important Arabic poems that were transformed into vocal works, became embedded in collective memory, and reflected the creative integration between literature, music, and melodic beauty.
Digital partnerships
The centre has succeeded in extending the reach of its publications into the digital world by forging partnerships with leading platforms specialising in Arabic content. It collaborated with the platform Anghami to make Arabic content available in modern formats that bring it closer to audiences, particularly young people and users of digital platforms. The centre has also organised events combining the aesthetics of language with the beauty of melody, most notably a musical evening hosted in the Egyptian capital Cairo under the title Poems Beloved by Sheikh Zayed, which presented selected sung poems by Abu al-Tayyib al-Mutanabbi and Ahmad Shawqi in a contemporary musical spirit drawing on the Arab musical heritage. Other events include the Arabic Language Days festival, which in every edition features vocal performances and discussion sessions addressing the relationship between the Arabic language and music — among them a session titled Voices and Aesthetics: Arabic as a Source of Inspiration — as well as public concerts hosting icons of song and music capable of connecting with new generations.
The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre has viewed book fairs not merely as a marketplace for publishers' titles but as a strategic platform for raising public awareness and developing cultural knowledge. It has ensured that the programmes of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair and the Al Ain and Al Dhafra Book Festivals include roving musical performances alongside diverse artistic segments offering a window onto the world's cultures.
In recognition of the efforts of creative figures in the fields of music, song, and the culture that surrounds them, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award has honoured, under its Cultural Personality category, Egyptian composer Omar Khairat and Egyptian singer Najat Al Saghira, in appreciation of each one's distinguished achievement in the fields of music and song.
Under the Manuscript Editing category, the award honoured researcher and musician Dr Mustafa Said for his critical edition of the book Safinat al-Mulk wa-Nafisат al-Falak (Shihab al-Din) and his study The Muwashshah and Maqam Music between Theory and Practice. The Kanz Al Jeel and Sard Al Dhahab awards also each include a category dedicated to the arts, reflecting the centre's appreciation for efforts made in the field of music at the level of research, documentation, and scholarship in service of enhancing the presence and aesthetics of the Arabic language.
The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre's celebration of World Music Day embodies its comprehensive vision of culture as an integrated system in which language interacts with the various arts and humanities, contributing to the enhancement of aesthetic awareness and the consolidation of values of dialogue and communication among peoples.
Through these qualitative initiatives, the centre continues its role in supporting the cultural and creative landscape, and in highlighting the civilisational standing of the Arabic language as a crucible of knowledge and cultural production — in alignment with its strategy aimed at preserving national cultural identity, strengthening the global presence of Arab culture, and consolidating Abu Dhabi's position as a centre of creativity and cultural and intellectual exchange.