As part of its activities for Reading Month and in celebration of Mother’s Day, the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), in collaboration with New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) Institute, is organising an event titled ‘Ramadan Nights: The Spirit of Motherhood’ to celebrate the occasion and offer a range of cultural and spiritual events inspired by the Holy Month.

The event will take place on 21 March 2024 at John E. Sexton Square at the NYUAD campus on Saadiyat Island. Its agenda includes a series of lectures and reading sessions of carefully curated books, along with spiritual musical performances in celebration of the occasion.

His Excellency Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the ALC, asserted: “Language is an embodiment of civilisation and of every detail and aspect of life. The Arabic language is at the heart of every social, cultural, and intellectual occasion, including this one, which is particularly special as three key cultural celebrations converge, with both Mother’s Day and World Poetry Day coinciding with our celebration of the Holy Month of Ramadan. All of these occasions have overlapping characteristics and features: motherhood is poetry, and poetry is motherhood, love, and warmth, while the Holy Month of Ramadan is all of the above.”

“The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre is committed to organising notable annual events that highlight the depth of Arabic culture and its connection to significant occasions, in collaboration with prominent cultural and intellectual entities in the UAE,” H.E. bin Tamim added. “The ALC’s partnership with the New York University Abu Dhabi Institute is among the most notable of these collaborations; it allows us to strengthen our cooperation to advance the status of the Arabic language and support the arts, which shed light on the spiritual aspects of the Holy Month of Ramadan. This, in turn, establishes a seamless connection between various arts and cultural events, in order to present a rich blend that highlights the beauty of Arab culture and creative works.”

For his part, Maurice Pomerantz, Senior Director of the NYUAD Institute, said: “The New York University Abu Dhabi Institute is excited to participate in planning and organising this prominent cultural event, which serves as an invitation for the public to delve into the cultural and spiritual aspects of motherhood, within the framework of the Holy Month. Our commitment at the Institute revolves around supporting cultural exchange and intellectual enrichment, and this event is a vibrant embodiment of this vision. We look forward to welcoming participants and visitors at John E. Sexton Square to share in rich cultural and spiritual experiences that deepen our appreciation for the beauty of the Holy Month and its noble teachings about motherhood.”