Have you met these trailblazing Emiratis?

Ahlam Bolooki - Festival director, Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
It is a balmy afternoon in Al Bastakiya when we meet Ahlam Bolooki. The narrow lanes, the stillness and structures rooted in Arabic culture take us down the memory lane. We ask Ahlam what some of her most cherished memories of growing up in the UAE are. The answers are aplenty. "The Souk Al Markazi, which was built in 1978, reminds me of a big orange dress my mother bought me on my seventh birthday. I remember Sharjah Science Museum opening my eyes to a fun and interactive side of science. I remember little joys bringing me more excitement than I could contain," she tells us later. "I bought my first book from the Sharjah International Book Fair."

Books are an important part of Ahlam's scheme of things. At 29, she is helming one of the most important literary festivals in the region, Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. Ever since 2016 was declared the Year of Reading, books and literature have assumed a new importance in the cultural landscape of the UAE. " I think the importance of culture is recognised increasingly with each year. The more cultural activities the community is exposed to, the more they want. The audience for the literature festival has itself grown from 20,000 visitors in 2009 to more than 41,000 in 2018," she says, adding that there is also a deeper level movement of cultural communities forming around local entities that support the arts.

Keenly mapping the literary evolution, Ahlam says she has witnessed considerable growth in children's reading habits. "Since the launch of the Arab Reading Challenge, the largest-ever Arab literacy initiative by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, we noticed a palpable growth in children's reading habits, especially with Arab books. We also host several school competitions, including creative writing and poetry competitions across the UAE, which give us a good indication of growth in students engaging with literature."

What about the adults? "I think we are in the midst of a major shift when it comes to reading habits globally. What is more significant than looking at our region exclusively is looking at the Arabic language on a global scale. Arabic is the fourth-most spoken language in the world and, with Arabs living all over the world, tools such as e-books and especially audiobooks are playing a phenomenal role in protecting and instilling the Arabic language. Hearing books read out to you in the most perfect pronunciation is the most valuable gift of preservation the Arabic language has seen for generations."

The Emirati youth have also played an important role in shaping the cultural narrative. "I think young people today are rewriting their own narrative rather than conforming to frameworks they are provided, and want to discover their own paths. We search for meaning, for reason, for purpose. And to that, I say, there is no greater world of answers than the world of books. It may not give us all the answers we are looking for, but with every book, we certainly feel closer." - Anamika Chatterjee

Abdallah Alansari - Stand-Up Comic
Stereotypes will have you believe that most Emiratis do not have a funny bone. That myth is being busted gently in the stand-up comedy space where young Emirati comics are taking to the stage, dismantling and poking fun at the simplistic notions that have come to be associated with them. Abdallah Alansari is one of them. A teaching assistant at Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, the 23-year-old is also a stand-up comedian, ventriloquist and improviser who has been performing for over three years now. His hilarious takes on the Emirati way of life intelligently puncture the generalisations.

As we prod him about what led him to become a stand-up comic, Abdallah tells us that it was watching the Kuwaiti performer Basel Al Dosary as a young child that inspired him to perform. "I think that's when I realised that Arabs can be funny too," he says. "Comedy also exaggerates positive aspects of a culture. For instance, the Emirati hospitality is well-known. If you compliment a guy on his watch, he will return it manifold. That is comic but at the same time, it is quite an endearing trait."

Puncturing stereotypes craftily requires a lot of thought and vision. Abdallah tackles the jokes in a way that they make a larger point about the culture itself. "Take, for instance, laziness. There's a common perception that Emiratis are lazy and that they literally own their maids. I did a skit that took one aspect, and exaggerated it to the point of absurdity just to get the audience to recognise the issue and contemplate the repercussions."

This does not mean that sensitivity is compromised. It matters to Abdallah who his audiences are so that he can tweak the humour accordingly. "I try to make my jokes relatable to my audience and always make sure that I know their age and nationality to tailor my jokes accordingly," he says, adding that perspective also ensures how a joke will be received. "I attended a school, which despite comprising Emirati students, also had kids from other nationalities. That's where I learnt the value of perspective, and also the value of critiquing part of my culture in a way that's largely fun and non-threatening."

As a craft, Abdallah says that it is a tough job. "The feeling of saying a joke and making a room full of people laugh is amazing. However, if others don't laugh, you're doomed. To keep standing on the stage after that requires a lot of courage." - Lujein Farhat

Dr Aysha Albusmait - Adoption Advocate
When Dr Aysha Albusmait first decided to adopt a child, the reactions of her close family and friends were mixed. Today, friends and colleagues refer to her as "the mother of princesses". In 2010, Albusmait became the first Emirati woman to request an official adoption approval when the process was unheard of in this part of the world. Looking back, she says it was the best decision of her life. "Both my daughters are my heaven and blessings. They are the reason I smile even if I am facing challenges," says Albusmait, who has been raising eight-year-old Reem and three-year-old Hessa.

Today, Albusmait is a single mother who has a successful career as Director in the Government Communication Department in the Federal Transport Authority - Land & Maritime. Has becoming a working mother posed any challenges? "I adopted my second daughter Hessa in 2015, when she was only 40 days old. I didn't receive maternity leave, so I would stay up all night to feed her, then go to work in the morning. I still don't know how I got the strength," she says. "Adoption is not new in the UAE, but talking about it is. I faced mixed reactions when I first decided to adopt."

Recounting how she adopted her first daughter, Albusmait says she made her choice way before she even saw her. She heard Reem's voice from another room when she went to pick her up at the Community Development Authority's (CDA) Embrace programme. "Her voice touched me in a way I cannot explain. I knew that she was the girl I had been searching for," she says. "The journey wasn't easy because I believe the relationship between a mother and a child is a godly connection."

Now that adoption is a talking point in the Emirati society, Albusmait says parents are pushing for a faster implementation of the law. "Adopted children have the right to get the same schooling and healthcare that a biological child enjoys. That's what adoptive parents in the UAE are calling for now." Living with both the girls in Dubai, Albusmait urges families to adopt orphaned children. "Don't fear society's judgement and don't hesitate to adopt if that's what you really want," she advises.

Today, both her girls are enrolled in Dubai British School, and she says she wants to raise them as strong leaders who will leave an impact on society. "Giving back to their countries and becoming good citizens is what I aspire for them to become." However, she has a word of advice for adoptive parents. "Leaving children to know by coincidence that they aren't your biological children can leave them in shock. We need more adoption stories to follow in the Arab World, as we currently depend solely on foreign stories." - Sherouk Zakaria

• UAE