Dubai, UAE – In a session filled with loyalty and nostalgia, Dr. Habib Al-Attar, Secretary General of the Emirates Theatre Association, and media personality and director Jamal Matar recalled their creative beginnings in Kuwait during the 1980s.
They emphasized that Kuwait was not just a study stop, but rather the “icon” that shaped their artistic and human identity.
A Journey of Excellence: From “Al-Shamiyah” to the Forefront of Theater
The session, titled “The Future Generation: Emiratis in Kuwait and the Experience of Academic Excellence,”
was moderated by Kuwaiti media personality Hamad Qalam.
This was part of the Emirati-Kuwaiti Media Forum at the Museum of the Future,
which featured a review of a journey that began more than 40 years ago.
Dr. Habib Al-Attar said with emotion: “Our presence here today can be summed up in one phrase: (Thank you to Kuwait).
The Kuwaitis opened their hearts to us before their theaters because we are (children of Emirates).”
He pointed out his and his colleague Jamal Matar’s excellence in obtaining first
and second place in the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts at that time.
He was mentored by giants
Al-Attar spoke about the Kuwaiti theatrical movement that embraced their talent,
from the “Arabian Gulf” and “Popular” theaters to direct contact with directing giants such as Karam Mutawa and Saad Ardash.
He explained that the psychological stability provided by the Kuwaiti community to Emirati students
in the “Al-Shamiya” area was the main pillar of their success and academic and professional excellence.
Kuwait’s passion
For his part, director Jamal Matar described Kuwait as having represented an “artistic revolution” since the 1940s.
Matar recalled his early exposure to Kuwaiti art, saying: “Shadi Al Khaleej’s song (Kaf Al Malam)
used to fascinate me with its eloquence before I even set foot on Kuwaiti soil.”
Matar reviewed his career after graduation, which varied between media and school theater,
where he spent 8 years touring the schools of the Emirates to spread the theatrical culture that he acquired from his first school in Kuwait.
He emphasized that the spirit of the Kuwaiti experience never left him in his poetic writings or his directorial works.
A platform to celebrate pioneers
The “Emirati-Kuwaiti Media Forum” comes as part of the “Emirates and Kuwait… Brothers Forever” week,
to be a platform that celebrates pioneers and looks ahead to the future of cooperation in the cultural, sports and diplomatic fields.
Recalling historical and human milestones that brought the two brotherly peoples together through decades of shared giving.
