The Ministry of Culture concluded the fifth edition of its Summer Camp on July 31, 2024. The month-long Camp began in early July to offer training and capacity-building opportunities for community members to boost their knowledge, strengthen their national identity, and develop stronger cultural bonds, enabling them to contribute to a brighter future in the UAE.

The Summer Camp concluded with a big event at the Umm Al Quwain Creative Cultural Centre in the presence of Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, Chairman of the Department of Finance of Umm Al Quwain, His Excellency Mubarak Al Nakhi, undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Culture, and other active figures.

The Summer Camp, which attracted over 18,500 participants, was designed to engage all members of society across various age groups, from six to sixty and beyond. The event featured 427 programs, showcased 223 talented individuals, and offered 56 comprehensive developmental activities to enhance participants’ skills. 165 trainers and volunteers facilitated and oversaw these programmes, collaborating with 287 partner organisations.

In a statement, His Excellency Mubarak Al Nakhi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, said: “Through our Summer Camp this year, we made an effort to reach different segments of society to offer them an integrated knowledge platform. The Camp aimed at the all-round development of the participants by offering them a comprehensive programme and diverse set of activities to build their skills and enhance their knowledge. This edition of the Summer Camp has been enriched with our experiences and key takeaways from the previous editions to provide the participants with new sources of knowledge and enhance their value system.”

His Excellency continued: “The Summer Camp is a great platform to invest in the capabilities of individuals raising their awareness and boosting their talents. This platform works towards building a strong national identity and connects the participants to their heritage. It also contributes to enhancing their scientific capacity and knowledge. We have deployed different methods to build skills as part of our endeavour to prepare the participants to contribute positively to nation building.”

Presenting artistic, knowledge-based, cultural and heritage programmes, the Summer Camp 2024 ran successfully at various centres across the Emirates including Fujairah Cultural and Creative Centre – Masafi and Al Hulaifat; the Ras Al Khaimah Cultural and Creative Centre – Al Nakheel; the Ajman Cultural and Creative Centre – Al Jurf; the Umm Al Quwain Cultural and Creative Centre – Al Salamah; and the Abu Dhabi Cultural and Creative Centre – Al Dhafra.