Cultural leaders, authors and educators have hailed the opening of Sharjah's House of Wisdom as the next chapter in the UAE’s rich literary scene.
The glimmering structure, described as a "library of the future", opened to the public on Thursday, December 10, a day after its official inauguration by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah.
At 10am, the multiple gates spread across the 12,000-square-metre site opened and one of the first families to venture inside was Ajman resident Sara Sofia and her two young sons.
Having more than 300,000 books available within a 20-minute drive of her home is a game-changer, she says.
"While this place is an amazing achievement for the UAE, I also need to stress how important it is for communities who live in the Northern Emirates," she tells The National.
“While there are libraries here, of course, to have a detailed and dedicated space like this for culture is really important.”
Sofia speaks both as a parent and educator.
A Mexican linguist and teacher who has called the UAE home for a decade, she approached the House of Wisdom with a keen eye.
In addition to the vibrant and multifaceted space, home to multiple pavilions, she immediately spotted the effectiveness of the minimalist design by renowned British architectural firm Foster + Partners.
“It’s a beautifully designed space that is conducive for learning,” she says. “The minimalism is important because it doesn’t bother the eye and instead relaxes the mind. This is especially important when you have young people here; it helps the concentration and imagination.”
More than a library
Such comments are music to the ears of Khawla Al Hashimi, director of projects at the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), which was behind the project.
The House of Wisdom, which was three years in the making, was never intended to be simply a library; rather, it was envisioned as a central hub for obtaining knowledge in various forms.
“While a major component of the House of Wisdom is celebrating books, when designing the project, we also looked at the concept of learning in all its methods,” Al Hashimi says.
“People not only learn from books but by interacting with people, attending a workshop or witnessing a theatre production. We wanted to tap into all the various forms within the building.”
That eclecticism is prevalent throughout the House of Wisdom, where rich culture and technology meet.
At its heart is The Monumental Library, which will store up to 305,000 books, two thirds of which are in digital form and 11,000 in various languages.
That futuristic touch is also found in Al Jazari Laboratory (known as the Fabrication Lab). Named after 12th-century Mesopotamian inventor Badi Al Zaman Al Jazari, the pavilion features cutting-edge 3D printers, lasers and vinyl-cutting machines.
The nearby Book Espresso Machine section, meanwhile, is a one-stop self-publishing hub, allowing authors and students to print and bind books or research papers on demand.
In addition to art spaces, currently home to two exhibitions by Iraqi-born New York artist Wafaa Bilal, there is a dedicated auditorium to hold cultural events.
Sharjah Book Authority chairman Ahmed Al Ameri, who attended the inauguration, relishes the venue’s prospects.
“We will definitely hold a number of events here throughout the calendar year,” he says.
“There is a lot of scope in what we can do with these amazing spaces. We can launch literary festivals and bring interesting guest speakers. We are already working on this so, really, watch this space.”
Part of a larger design
The arrival of the House of Wisdom has also been felt in neighbouring Dubai.
Emirates Airline Festival of Literature director Ahlam Bolooki predicts the venue will play an influential role in the ecosystem of the UAE cultural scene.
While the venue may be in a different emirate, she already sees how it complements the work of the festival.
“People could attend our festival, be inspired by an author or a subject, and then go to the House of Wisdom to really explore the associated books,” she says.
“Everything feeds into each other. All the joy is shared because what we are doing in this cultural space is important."
This is a message Sharjah author and nasheed singer Ahmed Al Bukhatir will pass on to his children when visiting the site over the weekend.
“I love how it’s not called a library and there is an emphasis on gaining wisdom,” he says.
“The message that I get out of it is that knowledge is not just about reading books alone, but in building your social skills and being challenged by interesting people and subjects.”
The power of imagination
And to do that, sometimes you have to let children roam free.
This was the favourite moment of Sofia’s first visit to the House of Wisdom.
When strolling through The Little Reader section, home to more than 5,000 titles for children and youths, she recalls how her children told her to hang back while they checked out the books alone.
“I just sat in the coffee shop watching them walk through the shelves and looking at all these books,” she says. “As an educator, that was a really powerful moment for me. This the kids saying, 'let me explore, let me just feel it and let me own it'.”
For more information, call the House of Wisdom on +971 6 594 0000
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
The five pillars of Islam
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
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Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
JERSEY INFO
Red Jersey
General Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the leader of the General Classification by time.
Green Jersey
Points Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the fastest sprinter, who has obtained the best positions in each stage and intermediate sprints.
White Jersey
Young Rider Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the best young rider born after January 1, 1995 in the overall classification by time (U25).
Black Jersey
Intermediate Sprint Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the rider who has gained the most Intermediate Sprint Points.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
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About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
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