The Al Owais Cultural Foundation organized in Dubai yesterday evening, Wednesday, a symposium and book signing ceremony for the book “Witness to the Era of Zayed,” by the writer Abdul Ghaffar Hussein. The symposium was moderated by the writer Jamal Al Shehhi, in the presence of Fatima Al Sayegh, a member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
Abdul Ghaffar Hussein indicated at the beginning that the book focuses on the period when the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul, was in the city of Al Ain and its many suburbs. This is because there is a lot of writing about the founding father and many writers have addressed it, whether from the Emirates or the Arabs, and from around the world, but few authors and historians have touched on that period during which Sheikh Zayed, may God have mercy on him, was ruler of the city of Al Ain.
Abdul Ghaffar Hussein stated that the presence of Sheikh Zayed during that period and his administration of the city of Al Ain confirmed that he had an outstanding leadership personality, and he pointed out an important point, which is that Sheikh Zayed, with his wisdom and genius, was able to transform the Bedouins. From their Bedouin life to their civil life, which was a very difficult task, and one of the great achievements that the Founding Father was able to achieve.
He explained that Sheikh Zayed transformed the city of Al Ain into a green oasis, so it became like an orchard due to its extreme beauty, and is almost unparalleled in the entire region. It became distinguished by gardens, farms, roads, and many of its landmarks as a city, and that, may God have mercy on him, when he moved to “Abu Dhabi,” he transformed it. The other to one of the most beautiful cities in the region.
Abdul Ghaffar Hussein discussed many of the human aspects of the personality of Sheikh Zayed, may God have mercy on him, explaining that the book deals with such exploits. Those who wrote about Zayed during that era were few, the most famous of whom was the British traveler Wilfred Thesiger, author of the famous book “Arabian Sands,” and he was one of the last great travelers. He came to the Arab region, visited Yemen, then Al Ain, stayed with Sheikh Zayed for a period of time, and wrote about him. The Bedouins called Wilfred Thesiger “Mubarak bin London,” in addition to the British diplomat, “Julian Walker,” and he also wrote about Sheikh Zayed in that period. catch him.
Following the symposium, Abdul Ghaffar Hussein signed the book, which was published this year, 2024, by the “Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation.” It is 233 pages of medium size, and carries an introduction by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, in which it states: “ I was very pleased to read this distinguished book, and what makes me happy is that it reflects the author’s great respect and sincere love for Sheikh Zayed, and expresses his pride in his national identity and his belonging and loyalty to this dear country.”
It was stated in the introduction to Abdul Ghaffar Hussein’s book: “I thought I would point out some of the bright aspects of the history of this benevolent leader, those aspects that had rarely been touched upon by a researcher before, and my argument for that is that I am one of the witnesses to these events and someone who lived and lived through them, and I do not claim that this book It contains a complete talk about Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, or even an almost complete one, because talking about and delving into this extraordinary, multi-faceted leadership personality does not stop at certain limits that we can count numerically…”The book includes several titles, including: “Sheikh Zayed… The Almighty Lord,” “Sheikh Zayed… the statesman and leader,” “The Army and the Nucleus of Formation,” and “Zayed and the Steps Towards the Establishment of the Union.” The book included a poem entitled “To the Spirit of Zayed,” by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, and a collection of poems and a photo album on many occasions.