Writers and novelists affirmed that storytelling represents the memory of nations and a bridge to the future. This was discussed during a seminar titled «Preserving Culture and Heritage Through Storytelling». The writer Shazia Khan began her speech by saying that her experience in writing children's stories stemmed from her work in education within a multicultural environment, explaining that she noticed a lack of books in English that reflect the daily life in the UAE. She added: «I was looking for stories in which children could see themselves, so I wrote works set in homes, farms, and the desert, that celebrate local customs such as generosity and hospitality». Meanwhile, the writer Bushair Al-Essa spoke about her experience of writing in the Gulf dialect, considering that using the daily language brings the child closer to the story and enhances their sense of belonging. As for the writer Dr. Ahmed Al-Kurai, he recalled milestones from the memory of the UAE and its transformations since the 1950s, saying: «I lived the UAE's journey from the desert to the present, and I wanted to document it in my book, because collective memory needs someone to narrate it to the new generations».
