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Shaikh Mohammed’s book released in Malayalam

The launch was held at a cultural event organised by Malayalam newspaper Gulf Madhayamam, the first Indian daily in Dubai.

The Malayalam translation of My Vision: Challenges in the Race for Excellence, one of the best-selling and inspirational books, authored by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai, was launched in Dubai this weekend.

Shaikh Mansoor handing over the first copy of the Malayalam translation to Indian writer MT Vasudevan Nair. — Supplied photo

The launch was held at a cultural event organised by Malayalam newspaper Gulf Madhayamam, the first Indian daily in Dubai. The function was held in connection with the celebration of classical status conferred to Malayalam, a language used by the people of the south Indian state of Kerala, with two thousand years of history.

The chief guest of the programme, Shaikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum handed over the first copy to veteran Malayalam writer, MT Vasudevan Nair, author of several bestselling Malayalam books and recipient of the prestigious Jnanpith literary award.

The release of the book came at a glittering programme at the Dubai World Trade Centre in which Gulf Madhyamam launched a year-long programme to celebrate the classical language status for Malayalam under the nomenclature ‘Ente Swantham (My Own) Malayalam’.

An august gathering of 13 eminent personalities from Kerala, who have brought laurels for Malayalis the world over, were honoured at the function. Apart from these legendary figures, several celebrities and prominent Indian businessmen and others were part of the special programme, directed by popular film director, Siddique.

My Vision: Challenges in the Race for Excellence was first published in Arabic, in 2006. Since then the book has been translated into English, Mandarin and now, Malayalam, and is a best-seller that examines the UAE’s exceptional development and the ways in which the young nation is making every effort to achieve excellence and upgrade its status from a regional economic centre into an international hub.

In the book, Dubai is cited as a shining example of extraordinary development based on excellent leadership, management, teamwork and timely decision-making.

Translated by K.C. Saleem, the Malayalam edition of the book contains 13 chapters divided into five sections. It will be available soon at all leading book stores in the UAE.

Malayalam language is spoken by over 30 million people and has a rich heritage of more than 2,300 years. The Malayalam edition of the book will present the vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed to a wide audience of over more than half a million Keralites who live and work in the UAE.

As per the latest official statistics by the Government of Kerala, with nearly 35 per cent of the total overseas Malayalis living in the UAE, they form the largest population of expatriate Keralites, the event organisers said. Malayalis have a strong cultural link with the Arab world, with trade and cultural 
relations existing between the 
two regions as early as the 7th Century AD.

Apart from M.T. Vasudevan Nair, the other legends who were honoured at the function were poetess and environmentalist Sugathakumari, renowned singers K.J. Yesudas and K.S. Chithra, megastars in Malayalam Mammotty and Mohanlal, Oscar award winner Resul Pookutty, space scientist G. Madhavan Nair, prominent oncologist Dr. Gangadharan, Kathakali artiste Kalamandalam 
Gopi, architect G. Shankar, magician Gopinath Muthukad, and Muslim folklore singer V.M. Kutty. Poet K. Satchidanandan was 
conferred the first Kamala 
Suraiyya Award instituted by the newspaper.

sajila@khaleejtimes.com