Raised at home under my mother's care after my father passed away when we were young, we spent our lives with her. The role I can never forget is my character in 'Banat Adam', as I despised it. Gholoum believes that theater crises are global, not exclusively Emirati. Thareed is the favorite dish of the Emirati star during the holy month. When the noise of the days fades and the voice of memory grows louder, the lights of old stories emerge, as if they were lanterns lighting the corridor of time. Thus, Emirati artist Dr. Habib Gholoum recalled the features of the holy month of Ramadan, as they were etched in his heart since childhood: the family home, the warmth of its gatherings, and the face of his dear mother, whose presence accompanies him to this day. And the Emirati star did not stop at the threshold of memories in his interview with 'Al Ittihad', as he also spoke about drama during this month, as well as the reality of theater, its state and crises, describing art as not just a message, but a complete life. Regarding Ramadan in his memory, Dr. Habib Gholoum said: 'This month symbolizes tranquility and psychological peace, and its spirituality is distinguished by gatherings with family and friends, as well as by a person sitting with himself and enjoying moments of clarity, which are important for every human being.' He added about the person he always remembers in this holy month: 'Ramadan in my memory is linked to my mother, who passed away five years ago, especially because we were raised at home under her care, as my father died when we were young, and we spent our lives with her. Also, Ramadan brings the family together at the table, and what mothers prepare for their families is considered important,' considering that the mother is life, the first embrace, and the foundation for every person. He noted that women in the past played different roles than women in this era. In the past, the home, family, and children were the only concern of a woman, whereas today mothers have other concerns besides the family. Life has changed, and a woman now strives to prove herself at work, playing an important role alongside a man. Favorite DishAs for his favorite dish in Ramadan, Dr. Habib Gholoum clarified that it is Thareed, noting that he does not like rice very much, and Emirati dishes either contain rice with different types of meat or Thareed, so he prefers the latter. Regarding keeping up with the artistic life during Ramadan, he believes that artists have a societal and professional commitment during this month, so personal life intersects with the art season in Ramadan, especially since channels and platforms pay attention to dramatic works during this time, unlike the rest of the year. The interest in viewing during this blessed month contributes to the screening of drama, which imposes on the artist a responsibility, especially towards his society. Return to BeginningsRegarding his artistic beginnings, the Emirati artist said: 'My vocal texture helped me join the school radio, and I shone since childhood. After that, I entered school theater, and in 1979, a delegation from the Ministry of Education came to the school, they were looking for talents to participate in an operetta, and I was selected, and my journey started from it. Then I studied in Kuwait, obtained a Master's degree in Egypt, a PhD from Britain, in addition to my work in the Ministry of Culture, which contributed to shaping my experience.' Dr. Habib's experience is diverse: he writes, acts, and directs, and his work in these fields constitutes his creative space, as he put it, emphasizing the scarcity in writing scripts, as well as in the field of directing in the Emirati artistic landscape, pushed experienced people to compensate for the shortage by working in more than one field. He mentioned that due to his specialization and obtaining his Master's and PhD degrees, he feels it is his duty to research all elements of artistic work, noting that the field carries a lot of psychological pressure, especially when an artist is committed to a particular play or series. What alleviates the pressure is the passion for the work and satisfactory results, especially because the positive reactions of people give artists a big dose of energy to offer more. 'Hayer Tayer'Dr. Habib Gholoum specifically stopped at the series 'Hayer Tayer', considering it a work that will not be repeated in the history of Emirati drama, attributing this to the timing in which it was presented, as the audience was thirsty for this kind of work. The series tackled issues that were close to them, through it some behaviors were criticized and corrected thanks to it, and the results of the series are still visible today. He added that some artists impose self-censorship on themselves, and the artist in the UAE learned from the leaders to look at the half-full glass, and then work on correcting mistakes. He stressed that drama leaves a big impact on society, as five parts were presented that tackled many issues, in addition to the presence of disagreements between the main producers of the work made it stop at the fifth part, as well as it helped to present something different at a later stage, including the series 'Tamasa'. Reality of SeriesRegarding the place of Emirati series compared to what is presented in the Arab world, artist Habib Gholoum said: 'One cannot compare local drama, there are experiences that preceded the UAE even at the Gulf level, and there are countries that precede the UAE.' He expressed hope that efforts will be dedicated to developing local drama. He noted that the role he can never forget is his character in the series 'Banat Adam', in which he played the role of a deceitful man, and because he hated the character so much, he excelled in presenting it. When playing such a role, the actor must not show sympathy for the character, but must be keen that the audience hates the evil character. Regarding 'Abu Al-Funoon'As for 'Abu Al-Funoon', Dr. Habib pointed out that theater in the UAE moves according to ijtihad (independent reasoning), and will continue in this way, because the institutions concerned with it are almost absent, except for Sharjah, which pays attention to theater, because His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council, Ruler of Sharjah, loves theater and started his life by writing plays. He called for paying attention to theater in all emirates by the institutions concerned with it, starting from the Ministry of Culture to the cultural bodies, to provide all forms of support. He stressed that it is necessary to think collectively, not personally, that is, to think of how to serve society before thinking of oneself, explaining that art is life, and the worker in art out of love sees life colorful, not gray. Dr. Habib Gholoum added that the theater crisis is not only in the UAE, it is global, and also that 'Abu Al-Funoon' today faces the challenge of personal presence, unlike what we are experiencing in the current era, where everything is provided to the audience through platforms and modern tools, due to which people have turned away from everything old and traditional. A Message to the YouthDr. Habib Gholoum addressed a message to young actors, which is to be patient, considering that many of the new generation are hasty and complain about not reaching stardom quickly, while success may take many years. It is necessary for a person to be satisfied with what he achieves, and to continue trying and making efforts, and difficulties will surely clear, and the result of the effort will appear with time.
