Ahmad shared his insights during the panel discussion titled “Media: A UAE-Mexico Bond,” where he was joined by Raed Barqawi, editor-in-chief of the Arab daily Al Khaleej; Edward Nawotka, co-founder of Publishers Weekly en Español; and Mónica Nepote, director of the e-Literature project at the Center for Digital Culture in Mexico. The panel was moderated by Zeth Arellano.
Ahmad pointed out that even before the start of an “open skies” policy between the UAE and Mexico, there was already a close relationship between the two countries with translations of Mexican literature. “The translations have played an important role in bringing Mexican society and its cultural heritage closer to the people of the United Arab Emirates,” he added.
He also noted that in the 1990s Arabs grew up watching a Venezuelan series about a gypsy woman’s journey from poverty to wealth. The same is repeated today on platforms like Netflix.
To boost cultural exchanges, Ahmad called for the establishment of a UAE-Mexico Friendship Association to develop cultural relations between the two countries. He recommended launching a prize for literary books translated from Arabic into Spanish and vice versa, stressing that such practical measures can make a big difference in establishing closer cultural ties.
Meanwhile, Barqawi cited the impact of trade relations between the UAE and Mexico, pointing out that trade was valued at $50 million just a decade ago, but with the growth of aviation and of air traffic with daily direct flights, the value of trade currently exceeds 3 dollars. trillion.
He noted that the trade ties have strengthened and developed close cultural relations between the two countries. He also said: “Mobility has contributed to a real cultural exchange that has manifested itself in language, music, art and even cuisine, among other forms of culture. This is what characterizes the United Arab Emirates today as it has become a bustling commercial hub that has paved the way for enhanced cross-cultural communication with nations around the world.
Nawotka, for her part, spoke about the experience of launching the Arabic and Spanish editions of Publishers Weekly magazine. He said: “When we sought to target Arabic speakers, we headed to Sharjah which hosted the launch of the Arabic edition. Interestingly enough, the idea of launching the Spanish edition originated at the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) where we met with Mexican entities and the idea then took shape for the Mexican edition of the magazine.
Sharjah is the guest of honor at the Mexican Book Fair, which runs until December 4 in the Mexican city of Guadalajara, known as “The City of Roses.”