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Residents are offered a choice of over 5,000 titles on board a ship docked in Mina Zayed Port
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The world’s largest floating book fair, Logos Hope, is back in the UAE capital.
The Abu Dhabi Arabic Center (ALC), part of the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT – Abu Dhabi), opened the show after the ship docked at Mina Zayed Port. Bibliophiles can pick from more than 5,000 titles at affordable prices in this free exhibit, which runs through June 4. What makes Logos Hope extraordinary is that it has an international team of volunteers in over 65 countries who are all dedicated to one purpose: to share knowledge, help and hope with people.
“This is our home. We welcome guests into our home,” said Ionut Vlad, a skipper from Romania who has spent seven years on board with his wife and daughter.
As the Master of Logos Hope, Vlad has been to many countries. Yet he was humbled by the hundreds of nationalities he found in malls and streets, from Ras Al Khaimah in Dubai to what is now the UAE capital.
“I know there are more than 200 nationalities here. I was amazed by the culture of the Middle East, especially the UAE. It was very interesting for us to learn from here.”
Logos Hope’s visit coincides with the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which will be held from 22-28 May. ALC Chairman Dr. Ali bin Tamim called Logos Hope a “unique and beautiful story” in his opening remarks.
“The Floating Exhibition is an innovative addition to Abu Dhabi’s cultural agenda. This novel offering furthers our efforts to promote a culture of reading and ensure the widest possible access to books and knowledge resources for all our community members, in line with Abu Dhabi’s Strategic Objectives of the Arabic Language Centre.”
Edward David, the ship’s managing director, who made his maiden voyage aboard the Doulos in 1987, recalls coming to Abu Dhabi in 1995.
“It’s a great place to experience hospitality. You hug us all the time,” David said.
Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan on board the Logos Hope.
Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, Ghanaian Ambassador to the UAE, was among the first to visit the fair.
“I came to know that their crew had volunteers from Ghana. I came here to watch the show and encourage my nationals,” Ramadan told the Khaleej Times.
The opening ceremony was attended by Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Abu Dhabi DCT; Saif Al Mazrouei, CEO of Ports Cluster, AD Ports Group; and Sebastian Moncayo, Preparatory Project Manager for Logos Hope Abu Dhabi ; and other officials from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Korean traditional dance performance at the opening ceremony of the book fair.
Over the next two weeks, a number of seminars, discussions, interactive meetings and cultural events will be held on board. ALC programming includes a children’s story reading workshop with author Dr. Fatima Al Mazrouei, an Arabic calligraphy workshop with Saeed Al Amiri, a book discussion led by members of the ALC Reading Club, and a literature and music history workshop with Iman Al Hashemi introduce. At the inauguration, a team of volunteers performed a traditional Korean dance.
“Over the next few weeks, residents of Abu Dhabi will have the opportunity to enjoy an exciting world of books covering a wide range of subjects and catering to all tastes. We are also proud of Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal’s contribution to the capital’s cultural and intellectual entertainment,” Noura Al Dhaheri said.
Every year, the Logos Hope cruise ship welcomes approximately one million tourists. Since its establishment in 2009, it has visited more than 150 countries around the world and welcomed a total of 49 million person-times. The ship’s crew visits areas around ports of call, such as hospitals and schools, and provides community service and assistance. Logos Hope’s primary goal is to serve the people in the communities in which it operates.
The Floating Book Fair will be held at Mina Zayed Port on June 4th (4pm-10pm).
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