Sultan Al Ameemi talks about the project of his life – creating a reference guide of UAE dialects

More than a decade ago, Sultan Al Ameemi had an idea.

“It began because I love the Arabic language and my country so much,” says the Abu Dhabi-based Emirati. “I have an interest in Nabati poetry and the language’s vast vocabulary – that’s where my research started – and I found that there has been a lack in preserving and understanding the various dialects of the Emirates. It’s our national treasure. We were in dire need of a sort of dictionary or multi- section encyclopedia that would bring all this together.”

And so Al Ameemi embarked on his mission – researching, compiling and writing a mammoth reference text detailing the who, what, why, where, when and how of the different dialects and vernaculars across the UAE. But he’s only 70 per cent done, with at least five more years to go.

“This is the project of my life,” says the 41-year-old, who also critiques verses submitted to Abu Dhabi’s Poetry Academy, of which he is the director. He also organises poetry competitions and prepares the questions that will feature on the TV programme Al Shara (The Banner), a staple on Abu Dhabi TV every Ramadan.

“I do many other things,” says Al Ameemi, “but every single day it is part of my daily routine to work on this anthology.”

Tracing roots

When he is finally done with his project, the UAE will have a priceless work that weaves in the land’s history – both modern and ancient – as well as a better understanding of Emirati identity.

“I’ve come across words that are not used anywhere in the world but in the Emirates, so compiling this adds to our identity, to our understanding of our culture and history and our ties to our language, and even in understanding ancient western languages,” he says.

Original article by Hala Khalaf

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Sultan Al Ameemi talks about the project of his life – creating a reference guide of UAE dialects