Sharjah observed Emirati Writer's Day on Saturday with a landmark ceremony at the Sharjah Book Authority, marking 40 years since the founding of the Emirates Writers Union. The event paid tribute to national authors and the enduring influence of literature on Emirati culture, presided over by His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah, and Honorary President of the Union.
A Milestone for UAE Literary Culture
The ceremony commemorated four decades of the Emirates Writers Union — an institution that Sheikh Sultan has championed through successive challenges facing arts organisations across the region. Since the Union's founding in 1984, it has served as the primary institutional home for Emirati writers, and this anniversary offered an occasion to reflect on how far the country's literary culture has come.
Upon his arrival, Sheikh Sultan was welcomed by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairwoman of the Sharjah Book Authority, Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of Culture, and senior officials, writers, and scholars. Attendees viewed a visual presentation tracing the Union's 40-year journey and the breadth of its activities.
Sheikh Sultan's Address: Culture as Society's Compass
In his main address, Sheikh Sultan drew on history, philosophy, and literature to argue that intellectual culture is inseparable from a society's identity. He compared the present moment to the French Enlightenment, citing Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Émile Zola as examples of writers who reshaped their societies by refusing to compromise on truth.
"Culture must remain engraved in the society — it cannot be bartered," he said, urging intellectuals to serve as a moral and intellectual compass for their communities rather than yielding to commercial or political pressures.
Sheikh Sultan also recalled how French scholars transformed the Sorbonne from a religious centre of learning into a melting point of science and literature, illustrating how institutions evolve when intellectuals are given room to lead. He invoked Shakespeare's influence on 17th-century England as a further example of how writers and artists can define the character of a civilisation long after their time.
"That power belongs to the intellectuals," he declared — a reminder that culture is not passive heritage but an active force capable of mobilising change.
Honours for Former Union Leaders
The ceremony included formal recognition of the Emirates Writers Union's former presidents: Abdul Hamid Ahmed, Abdul Ghaffar Hussein, Nasser Al Dhaheri, Ibrahim Al Hashemi, the late Nasser Gibran, Habib Al Sayegh, and current president Dr. Sultan Al Ameemi. Each was honoured for their stewardship of the Union during different chapters of its history.
Sultan Al Ameemi, in his speech, expressed gratitude for Sheikh Sultan's continued presence and support, noting that the dedication of a national day to Emirati writers stands as one of the most significant cultural gestures in the country's modern history.
Sharjah's Commitment to the Written Word
The event underscored Sharjah's broader role as the Arab world's capital of culture and reading. Home to the Sharjah International Book Fair — the third-largest book fair globally — and institutions such as the Sharjah Book Authority and the Al Owais Cultural Foundation, the emirate has built an ecosystem that takes literary culture seriously at an institutional level.
Emirati Writer's Day, observed annually on 26 May to coincide with the Union's founding date, is both a celebration and a call to action — asking writers, readers, and policymakers to invest in the ideas and voices that shape how the UAE sees itself and is seen by the world.
