Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
The third International Dialogue of Civilisations and Tolerance Conference opened in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, making the case that family and community must not be lost in an era of AI and new media.
Bringing together experts from more than 120 countries, the three-day event is hosted by the Emirates Scholar Centre for Research and Studies and the Abrahamic Family House, with the Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities and the Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau as partners.
Dr Abdulla Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Chancellor of the Emirates Scholar Centre for Research and Studies, set the tone for the event as he pointed out that "families are the base for societies".
"If we manage to strengthen society without actually strengthening families, we would end up having difficulties a year, two years, and maybe a decade from today," he told Aletihad on the sidelines of the conference.
Dr Al Nuaimi pointed to the UAE's Year of Family as evidence of a long-term commitment to social stability, and to the country's social fabric — home to more than 200 nationalities — as a working model of coexistence. The UAE, he said, is emerging as a model for how diverse societies can build strong family structures grounded in shared values.
As he opened the event, Dr Al Nuaimi emphasised that instilling societal values and fostering dialogue within the family was fundamental to building more stable and cohesive communities.
Dr Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, Chief Executive Officer of TRENDS Group, also addressed the delegates, highlighting the family's role as the foundation of society despite accelerating technological change.
In a keynote speech, Dr Khalifa Al Dhaheri, Chancellor of the Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities, stressed that rapid digital transformation had made dialogue more urgent to ensure that technological progress remains centred on people.
"Universities and academic institutions play a pivotal role in preparing generations equipped with sound critical thinking skills and capable of engaging with digital transformations without compromising values and identity," he said.
"In doing so, they draw inspiration from the UAE model, which is founded upon tolerance, coexistence, and investment in people as the cornerstone of development and stability."
Fatima Al Mazrouei, Head of the Historical Archives Section at the National Library and Archives, drew on 19th and 20th century records to show that, in the UAE, tolerance is a deeply rooted cultural inheritance.
Historical accounts from travellers documented how visitors were welcomed with openness regardless of nationality, language or religion. Food, hospitality and shared values were repeatedly cited as the ties that bid people across different backgrounds.
"When you look back more than 100 years, you find that our leaders were already open to other cultures and communities," Al Mazrouei said. "That openness helped shape the UAE into the model of coexistence it is today."
More than 4,500 people representing over 120 countries participated in the event. For many of them, the conference itself embodied the values being debated on stage.
"We benefit and contribute," said Khalil Al Hosani. "Everyone shares their culture, religion and traditions, giving us the opportunity to learn from one another."
His wife, Fatima Al Hosani, put it simply: "Events like this help bring people closer together and encourage greater appreciation of different cultures."
