ABU DHABI, 16th September, 2026 (WAM) — TRENDS Global, through its Virtual Office in Germany, in cooperation with the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA), organised an interactive dialogue session titled Storytelling, Seafaring, and Travel Writing: The Arabian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, as part of the 35th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, in the presence of Tobias Tunkel, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Arab Emirates.
The session was moderated by Dr. Mohammed Aboughazala, Lead Researcher at TRENDS and Director of the TRENDS Virtual Office in Germany, with the participation of Dr. Noha Al Shaar, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Lisbon; Dr. Beate Ulrike La Sala, Adviser at Goethe University Frankfurt; and Dr. Hind Mahmoudi, Plant Physiology Specialist and AGYA Alumni Ambassador in the UAE.
The participants discussed the importance of storytelling, travel writing, and maritime traditions in promoting communication and cultural exchange among different communities and cultures.
The session focused on the academic book Storytelling, Seafaring, and Travel Writing: The Arabian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, edited by Dr. Noha Al Shaar, Dr. Beate Ulrike La Sala, and Dr. David Wulmsen.
The book explores Islamic travel literature, focusing on the Arabian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, and traces the development of storytelling, travel writing, and maritime narratives from Late Antiquity to the present day.
The dialogue discussed how narratives, travel writing, and maritime traditions shape cultural discourses and build bridges of civilisational exchange, emphasising that the sea was not merely a route for trade and exploration but also a space for memory, cultural imagination, and literary expression.
Dr. Noha Al Shaar highlighted the event’s importance in promoting cultural dialogue among communities and countries. She provided an overview of the book and its preparation, noting the cooperation among the Sharjah Museums Authority, the American University of Sharjah, and AGYA that contributed to its publication. She also discussed the book’s key themes, the Gulf region’s historical importance as a meeting point between Eastern and Western cultures, and AGYA’s role in promoting intercultural dialogue through its publications and initiatives, including the book Hikayat Arabiyya wa Almaniyya (Arab and German Stories).
Dr. Beate Ulrike La Sala discussed Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali’s view of travel as a model for intellectual and spiritual growth, drawing on The Book of Travel and the Wonders of the Heart from Ihya’ Ulum al-Din. She explained the relationship between external journeys and inner transformation, noting that travel can reveal human weaknesses and deepen self-knowledge. In contrast, the most important journey lies in purifying the heart and seeking divine knowledge.
Dr. Hind Mahmoudi also highlighted the role of the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA) in supporting researchers from Arab countries and Germany at the start of their academic careers, and in promoting interdisciplinary and intercultural cooperation.
Source: Emirates News Agency
