Under the patronage of HE the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, the first edition of the international scientific symposium on Qatar's culture and heritage will kick off next Friday at Jassim Zaini Hall at the Ministry's headquarters.

The two-day symposium, organized by the Ministry's Department of Cultural Research and Studies, is being held as part of the National Development Strategy (2011-2016), and in the framework of the cultural strategy projects for Qatar Vision 2030.

The event aims at enhancing communication between researchers in Qatar and around the world in the different culture affairs in order to enhance the status of Qatar, and present its culture and its future prospects.

The first edition of the symposium will introduce the Qatari narrative for the short story, discuss it at local level, and compare it regionally and internationally. Upcoming editions will discuss other topics in poetry, theater, novels, literary criticism and intellectual studies.

The symposium will include three workshops: the art of writing a story, analysis of literary text, and how to write a short story. 

Three creative novelists in Qatar will be honored during the opening session of the symposium: Dr. Mohammed Abdul-Rahim Kafoud, former minister of education and culture, academic critic and writer Yousef Al Neama, and Dr. Kaltham Jabor.