Dubai, November 7th /WAM/ The Dubai Culture Council has issued the monthly report of cultural, artistic and literary activities in the emirate of Dubai for last October. The report, titled 'The Cultural Scene', spanned 23 pages and covered three main themes. The first theme discussed various cultural activities of several cultural institutions in the emirate, noting that last Ramadan provided a good opportunity for a number of rare art exhibitions such as the Islamic Manuscripts Exhibition 'Radiance of the Spirit' organized by the Dubai Culture Council in cooperation with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Juma Al Majid Center for Culture and Heritage, and the Islamic Treasure Society in the Arab Republic of Egypt. The report also mentioned the release of a new issue of the cultural magazine 'Afaq' by the Dubai Culture Council for October. The report also included cultural, artistic and literary activities organized and hosted by a number of institutions, clubs, universities and colleges, namely: Dubai Ladies Club, Dubai Press Club, Al Nahda Women's Association, Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Sultan bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation, Juma Al Majid Center for Culture and Heritage, College of Islamic Studies, Al Noor Center for Rehabilitation and Training of People with Special Needs, Higher Colleges of Technology, Zayed University, Islamic Schools for Education and Teaching, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Urban Heritage Society, and the Dubai Shopping Festival Surprises Office. The report also touched on the special program presented by Al Arabiya satellite channel about the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan on the first anniversary of his passing, and the film and animation program prepared by the Educational Techniques Department of the Ministry of Education for the national education curriculum. The second theme of the report dealt with official receptions and agreements with cultural orientations, most notably the reception by Lieutenant General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Minister of Defense, for dignitaries on a Ramadan evening, as well as the reception by His Excellency Mohammed Al Murr, Chairman of the Dubai Culture Council, for the Executive Director of the Dubai International Film Festival in its second edition, in addition to his opening of a number of exhibitions and cultural events in the past period. The third and final theme of the report addressed awards, competitions and conferences that were organized in the emirate and planned to be held in the coming period. The report highlighted the most prominent event: the honoring by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al Sudais, Imam of the Holy Mosque in Mecca, on the occasion of his selection as the Islamic Personality of the Year 2005 within the closing activities of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award. The report also covered the Ideal Mother and Family Awards, as well as the Dubai International Film Festival scheduled to launch in its second edition next December, the Arab Coastal Engineering and Management Conference, the Governing Council meetings of the United Nations Environment Programme, and the Media and Marketing Exhibition 2005. It is worth noting that the Dubai Culture Council began issuing a monthly report last August covering all cultural, artistic and literary activities hosted by the emirate for documentation purposes. These reports will be compiled at the end of each year to issue an annual report on cultural activities in Dubai, in addition to serving researchers and postgraduate students, among others. /WAM/ D/ S S/ 35 18