The UAE has launched the initiative "Al-Andalus: History and Civilization," under the patronage of Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, organized by the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center and the National Archives and Library. The Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported that this initiative, which will last for six months in partnership with the Kingdom of Spain, expresses the UAE's firm belief in the necessity of openness to civilizations and the meeting of cultures and religions. Through this initiative, the country aims to highlight Andalusian civilization through a series of cultural and artistic activities aimed at enhancing the strong ties between the two countries, and to introduce the Arab civilization that flourished in Andalusia, which was founded on the culture of dialogue, tolerance, openness, and coexistence—values that the United Arab Emirates seeks to promote and establish through various efforts.
Mohammed Al Mar, head of the "Al-Andalus: History and Civilization" initiative committee, stated that "the launch of this initiative is part of the UAE's official interest in humanitarian heritage wherever it exists, through serious participation in preserving, restoring, promoting, and globally disseminating it. Additionally, the initiative is fundamentally an invitation for the general public to learn about the elements and components of one of the greatest historical Arab periods and to inform new generations about Andalusian civilization in its human, civilizational, cultural, and scientific legacy, reinforcing the culture of coexistence and tolerance upon which that civilization was founded and which is still lived today."
