Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre

Saeed Al Tunaiji has served as the Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre since 2021. He has extensive experience in managing book publishing and literary initiatives within the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi. Al Tunaiji played a key role in overseeing creative content for major publishing projects, including the Kalima Translation Project and the "Esdarat" series, which publishes a diverse range of titles. He also held the position of Director of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.

His administrative career includes serving as Director of Media and Public Relations at the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi. Before transitioning into cultural administration, Al Tunaiji began his professional journey as a journalist, contributing opinion articles to cultural sections of various Emirati newspapers. He is also an author, with published works including "From and Into the Depths of the Nation", "Mosaic", and "The Mistakes of Her Majesty".

Poet and Critic

Former Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Culture in Egypt, and a recipient of the State Honors Award in Literature and the winner of the Humboldt Research Fellowship in Humanities in Germany.

He has authored several critical works and poetry collections and has taught at various German and Arab universities. He also writes regular columns for prominent newspapers and magazines, such as Al-Akhbar, Akhbar Al-Adab, and Al-Wafd.

Dr Badran has a significant presence in scientific and cultural conferences. He has held several important positions, including President of the General Authority for Culture Palaces, Vice President of South Valley University in Qena, and Dean of the Faculty of Arts.

Professor of Modern Arabic Literature and Criticism

Egyptian critic and academic specialising in modern Arabic literature. He is an Associate Professor of Modern Arabic Literature and Literary Criticism at Helwan University, focusing on Arabic narrative studies and their critical approaches.

Dr Alhaj Aly has held several key cultural positions, including Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Culture, Chairman of the General Egyptian Book Organisation, President of the Cairo International Book Fair, and Chairman of Al-Qahirah Newspaper.

He received an honorary professorship from Ningxia University in China and has judged prestigious awards such as the Egyptian State Awards, the Abdulaziz Al-Mansour Prize (Kuwait), the Mahmoud Darwish International Prize, the Sawiris Prize, and the GUST Prize for Cultural Studies.

Dr Alhaj Aly has authored several works, including "Experimentation in the Short Story" and "Qualitative Time and the Issues of Narrative Genre", and translated Roger Bromley's "Forgotten Narrative Texts". He has contributed to numerous academic papers and international conferences on Arabic literature.

As a poet, he has published two collections: "Pain Surprises Time" and "A Space That Shelters Its Owner". He also writes a weekly column in "Youm7" newspaper.

Cultural Journalist at The National Newspaper

The Arts and Culture correspondent at The National Newspaper, with a particular focus on the publishing industry and Arabic pop culture.

He has covered major literary and cultural events, including prominent book fairs in Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Frankfurt, and Madrid. Additionally, he is a 2024-2025 fellow of the Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism.