The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre in Abu Dhabi organized a series of virtual events over the week to mark International Youth Day, which falls on August 12 every year. The events highlighted the Centre’s keenness to invest in the potential of youth and to develop their talents and abilities.
Cultural tours in different languages
As part of its efforts to portray the country’s true image before the world, the Centre organized virtual cultural tours delivered by a group of cultural-tour specialists from the Centre in different languages, including English, Korean and Arabic. A large number of people from around the world, representing diverse cultures, attended the events on social media platforms.
The programs focused on the UAE’s core principles of tolerance, coexistence, and mutual respect – ideals instilled by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to lay the foundation of the country and build bridges of dialogue with the rest of the world. These fundamental principles have been reflected in Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque’s unique Islamic architecture and designs.
Ceremony to honor graduates of Ibn Al-Dar and Junior Culture Guide programs
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre organized a ceremony to honor the graduates of the Cultural Guidance Training Program (Ibn Al-Dar) and Junior Culture Guide programs. Fresh graduates attended the events along with their parents. Nine trainees graduated from the Ibn Al-Dar program in 2020, while 21 trainees graduated from the Junior Culture Guide program in the same year. The total number of training courses provided by the Centre within the Ibn Al-Dar program since its launch reached 18 courses, and a total of 190 trainees. The total number of training courses provided by the Centre within the Junior Culture
Guide program reached 9 courses, and a total of 389 trainees.
Ahmed Abdullah Al Nuaimi, a graduate of the Ibn Al-Dar program, said: “We are happy to have been honored. We have greatly benefited from many educational workshops and field training courses. We want to represent a modern and civilized nation that brims with a rich culture. By serving our nation this way, we can immortalize the contributions of the UAE’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the noble values he inculcated in our society and sentiment.”
Jamal Thabet Al Mahri, the father of the graduate student, Mariam Jamal Al Mahri, expressed his pride in his daughter’s achievements. He stressed that the program is of special importance, as the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre provides opportunities for training and employment to Emiratis, and qualifies them in the field of cultural tours.
Fatima Abdul Hameed Al Fahdi, a graduate of the Junior Culture Guide program, said: “The program has helped us to acquire special skills through a variety of workshops that have also contributed to enriching our cultural knowledge and experience with regard to the history of the UAE and the principles and values it represents. It also taught us the importance of preserving our national identity.”
Thurayya Ismail Al Ameri, the mother of the graduate students Hilal and Fatima Al Fahdi, said: “The Junior Culture Guide Program is one of the most important annual programs offered by the Centre, as this program succeeded in preparing a generation of young people proud of their Islamic culture and national identity, carrying the message of the UAE and providing an honorable model, which represents the real wealth upon which the development process is based.”
Ibn Al-Dar Program
It is one of the most distinguished programs organized by the centre on annual basis and managed by an elite group of qualified Emirati cultural tour specialists. The program aims to train and qualify those enrolled in the program to undertake cultural tours that are aligned with the goals and mission of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre. The centre is keen to invest in young Emiratis, as they reflect the values of the UAE, and represent its principles of openness and acceptance.
Junior Culture Guide Program
The “Junior Culture Guide” program includes a series of training workshops focused on presentation and public speaking skills, self-confidence enhancement, effective body language, and the art of managing a dialogue. This program helps to promote social responsibility among youth, develop their skills, abilities and knowledge about the UAE’s history and culture. By doing so, it aims to create generations that are capable of shouldering responsibility from an early age, and become specialists in cultural tours in the future, and ambassadors who represent their nation in an honorable way.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre is affiliated to the Ministry of Presidential Affairs has been sponsored and followed-up by H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs. The Centre was established to be a nucleus for a cultural and intellectual movement focused on the Mosque. This is based on the cultural and national values expressed in the concepts and values established by late Sheikh Zayed. These values are deep-rooted in sentiment and consciousness and form an extension of the national identity inspired by the teachings of our tolerant religion.
