Famous Arab Spirit of Exploring Cultures to Build Bridges Still Alive: Travel Experts

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The famous Arab spirit of exploration and experiencing diverse cultures of the world, once represented by legendary intrepid travellers like Ibn Batuta, is still very much alive; only the nature of these explorations and journeys has changed, argued leading Emirati explorers and travel experts at the third Sharjah Ramadan Majlis Wednesday night.

 

Hosted by the Sharjah Press Club of Sharjah Government Media Bureau at Al Majaz Amphitheatre in partnership with Sharjah Media Corporation, the Ramadan Majlis session titled ‘Exploring Cultures Around the World’ debated how modern journeys have become an effective tool among young Emiratis and others in the region to explore different cultures and people around the world, helping build bridges. These cultural journeys have been an important tool in the embodiment of literary events and historical narratives of cultures and personalities.

Moderated by popular television host Majed Al Suwaidi, the session featured Abdul Wahab Al Hammadi, leading author and travel expert, Asaad Al Dhafer, international cultural explorer and Mohammed Kazem, cultural explorer. Present on the occasion were Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Council, HE Mohammed Khalaf, Director General of Sharjah Media Corporation, HE Tariq Saeed Allay, Director of Sharjah Government Media Bureau, and a number of dignitaries and senior officials.

The leading travel experts who all have their own companies specialising in organising such explorations and special expeditions across the region and around the world recounted some of their memorable journeys and experiences of taking groups of Emiratis, Arabs and Westerners to explore the world. 

Travelling to Build Bridges

Opening the discussion, Abdul Wahab Al Hammadi argued that the Arab concept of exploration is still very much alive even if the nature of these explorations has changed because of unprecedented ease of travelling today.  Social media like Instagram are full of such personal journeys today with more and more people taking time to explore alien cultures and civilisations around the world and sharing their experiences with the community, Al Hammadi said.

He talked about his experience of organising trips based on famous books about Al Andalusia, the centre of great Arab-Islamic civilisation in Spain, and to Egypt on the basis of books of Nobel prize winning Arab author Naguib Mahfouz. For instance, travellers get to trace the footsteps of Mahfouz, just as he took the same route to visit the neighbourhood library for 50 years.

Pointing out that travelling habits of people from GCC have undergone a change, he said: “Travelling is essential to build bridges with other people and cultures and clear ignorance and stereotypes.  For instance, if you visit a country like Morocco, not only are you freed of your stereotypical notions about the country, it helps the Moroccans in turn to clear their own misconceptions about the Emiratis or Gulf Arabs.”

Connecting With People and Places

Cultural explorer Asaad Al Dhafer agreed saying he has turned his passion of travelling and exploration into his business, after setting up a travel magazine in 2007 and following it up with a start-up that helps organise unusual and unconventional journeys and explorations around the world. 

He talked about having organised scientific expeditions to places like NASA and culinary journeys to Japan’s famous restaurants and eateries.  Emphasising the importance of establishing a connection with places and people, Al Dhafer said today both journeys and sharing of those experiences have changed. In the past, people would travel around the world and write about their experiences when they return home. Today, however, storytelling has changed with people sharing their experience of a place and people on social media even as they travel.

Travelling in Arabian Peninsula

Mohammed Kazim, who organises trips to showcase products like shoes, talked about his experience of travelling inside the Arabian Peninsula, especially in Saudi Arabia’s Jizan province and Taif.  He shared his experience of organising a documentary trip to interior areas of Jizan where they became part of an extraordinary cultural celebration that is usually out of bounds for travellers.  He called for generating passion about such trips that would bring people closer to their roots and indigenous cultures of the region. 

The next Ramadan Majlis session on Sunday, May 27, is dedicated to the leadership vision and contribution of the UAE’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.