The UAE took part in the 20th conference of the cultural affairs officials of the Arab states, held on Wednesday in Tunisia to discuss modern-day cultural issues in the Arab region.

The meeting was called by the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation, ALECSO.

At the meeting, the UAE was represented by a delegation headed by Under-secretary at the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development Afra Al Saberi. The delegation also included Hakam Al Hashemi, Assistant Under-secretary for Culture, Arts and Antiquities. Ambassador of the UAE to Tunisia Salim Eisa Al Zaabi attended the conference.

The broad theme of the two-day conference covers the role of cultural media in the era of digital evolution.

Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit, in a speech delivered at the meeting, highlighted that developments in some Arab countries over the past five years revealed an immense gap between intellectuals and their social, economic and political reality.

Abdullah Hamad Muhareb, Director-General of ALECSO, noted that cultural development could not be separated from digital evolution and the social media.

Culture remains at the forefront of countering extremism where it helps spread values of dialogue, acceptance of others and rejection of isolationism, Muhareb said.