In this fascinating TEDxAlBateen talk, Dr. Maryam Al Marashdah, linguist and researcher, explores how the way we speak carries the essence of who we are.Through her study of dialects — particularly the Shehi dialect — Dr. Maryam reveals how language is far more than words; it’s a living archive of identity, memory, and belonging. Each accent, tone, and phrase preserves generations of history and culture, quietly weaving the story of a people.She invites us to listen closely — to see how what may sound unfamiliar at first can become deeply familiar, and how dialects form our cultural DNA. In a rapidly changing world, her message is a timeless reminder: our voices hold the threads that tie us to our roots.Key ideas:Dialects as living archives of history and identity How diversity in speech strengthens belonging The Shehi dialect and its cultural significance Listening as a bridge between difference and understanding Language as a vessel of heritage in a modern worldRecorded live at TEDxAlBateen 2025 — themed “Threads of Us,” celebrating the connections that define identity, culture, and shared belonging.#TEDxAlBateen #DrMaryamAlMarashdah #ThreadsOfUs #Language #Identity #Culture #UAE #Linguistics #Belonging Dr. Maryam Bayshak Almarashda is a linguist and academic leader with more than two decades of teaching and research experience at the United Arab Emirates University. She served as Assistant Professor of Linguistics from 1991 to 2012 and held several leadership roles, including Dean of Students, Associate Dean for Language.She earned her PhD in Discourse Analysis from SOAS, University of London. Her research focuses on the historical and sociolinguistics of the UAE and the Gulf, producing studies on dialect reconstruction, speech communities, reduplication, and politeness in Emirati Arabic. She also pioneered work in cognitive and clinical linguistics, introducing the UAE’s first thematic application on aphasia.Dr. Maryam taught courses ranging from sociolinguistics and stylistics to language and the brain. Her academic journey included sabbaticals and research visits at Oxford, SOAS London, Sydney University, York University, and the University of California, Santa Barbara. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

In this captivating TEDxAlBateen talk, Michel Langlois — a veteran technology executive and former leader at Cisco, Juniper Networks, and Calix — shares an extraordinary journey from his humble beginnings on a family farm to the forefront of global innovation.Through personal stories and hard-won lessons, Michel reveals how the principles he learned tending to a farm — consistency, courage, and care — became the foundation for building some of the world’s most resilient and forward-thinking organizations.He unpacks the Lifecycle of Innovation, showing how companies can sustain creativity through every stage of growth by building trust, embracing a no-fear culture, and visualizing the end state with clarity. His message is a wake-up call to business leaders: innovation doesn’t end with success — it begins with trust, humility, and the courage to evolve.Key ideas:- The stages of innovation through a company’s lifecycle - Building trust as the foundation of creativity and growth - Creating a no-fear culture that fuels adaptability - How to visualize and sustain innovation through change - Lessons from transforming global tech giants like Cisco and Juniper NetworksRecorded live at TEDxAlBateen 2025 — themed “Threads of Us,” celebrating the connections between courage, creativity, and community in shaping a more innovative world.#TEDxAlBateen #MichelLanglois #ThreadsOfUs #Innovation #Leadership #Trust #Courage #Technology #Growth #UAE A pioneering technology executive who has spent 35+ years building and scaling the commercial internet—and the teams behind it. A former senior leader at Cisco, Juniper Networks, and Calix, he is known for turning inflection points into engines of growth: at Cisco, he helped scale the IOSTM software business from ~$1B to $40B+ while leading a global engineering organization; at Juniper, he re-engineered the Junos software pipeline, tripling quality, speed, and capacity; at Calix, he led a subscriber-centric reinvention that grew revenue 4× and market cap 10×.Michel’s teams navigated the dot-com crash, global supply shocks, and the COVID era—proof that disciplined innovation, human-centered leadership, and courageous reinvention can turn crisis into compounding trust and long-term value. A Top 12 U.S. CTO (2022), Forbes Technology Council contributor, and Amazon best-selling author (Beyond the Code), he advises CEOs, boards, and investors on scaling product, culture, and impact. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

In this poetic and deeply personal talk, Neel Shukla — entrepreneur, artist, and cultural visionary — reflects on five decades of his family’s journey in the UAE and how art became the language of belonging.From a childhood moment when His Highness called his father “Fannaan” — “the artist” — Neel traces a legacy that grew alongside the transformation of the nation itself. He shares how that recognition planted in him a lifelong devotion to creativity and cultural dialogue, one that would later lead him to bring global institutions such as the Louvre to the UAE.As he reflects on the balance between heritage and technology, Neel offers a profound reminder: in the age of AI and automation, it is the imperfection in our hands — the human touch — that carries beauty, meaning, and memory.Key ideas:- The intersection of art, heritage, and national identity - The story behind bringing the Louvre to the UAE - Honoring the human touch in an age of machines - How imperfection defines creativity and authenticity - Art as a bridge between generations and culturesRecorded live at TEDxAlBateen 2025 — themed “Threads of Us,” celebrating the ties between creativity, humanity, and the enduring spirit of the UAE.#TEDxAlBateen #NeelShukla #ThreadsOfUs #Art #Creativity #UAE #Culture #Innovation #Humanity An art entrepreneur and cultural consultant whose work transforms art into storytelling that bridges generations, identity, and innovation. Raised in Dubai’s art scene and inspired by his father, renowned photographer Ramesh Shukla, Neel learned early on that art has the power to preserve memory and pass knowledge from one generation to the next.Through his studio in Dubai, Neel has developed projects that span museum-quality conservation, monumental sculpture, and bespoke cultural installations. His portfolio includes collaborations for Atlantis The Royal, The WB Abu Dhabi, Mayo Clinic Abu Dhabi, Grosvenor House, Hyatt Centric Jumeirah, and Expo 2020 Dubai. He also contributed to the creation of one million Expo passports, embedding cultural imagery into a global experience.Beyond commercial work, Neel curates exhibitions that highlight the UAE’s cultural legacy, while also preserving his father’s photographic archive — one of the nation’s most significant collections. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

In this heartfelt and deeply personal TEDxAlBateen talk, Mohamed Nizar Luqman reflects on the unseen connections that shape who we are — from family legacies to the quiet lessons we inherit across generations.Through powerful storytelling, Mohamed shares the wisdom he learned from his father — lessons of time, courage, and respect — and how these values continue to guide his life and leadership. From childhood memories to building his first business during the pandemic, his story is a moving reminder that every moment, every act of kindness, and every person we meet becomes part of the thread that weaves our shared humanity.He invites us all to pause, reconnect, and cherish the people who make us who we are — because communities aren’t built in institutions, but in living rooms, shared meals, and everyday acts of care.Key ideas:- The lessons of time, courage, and respect - The unseen connections between generations - Building a life rooted in gratitude and presence - How family, loss, and love define our legacy - Reconnecting with others as an act of healing and humanityRecorded live at TEDxAlBateen 2025 — themed “Threads of Us,” exploring the bonds that connect stories, people, and generations through time and memory.#TEDxAlBateen #MohamedLuqman #ThreadsOfUs #Legacy #Family #Connection #Inspiration #UAE #Humanity Mohamed Nizar Luqman is an Emirati writer and storyteller whose work explores the threads that connect identity, legacy, and progress. His reflections draw from lived experience, bridging personal narrative with the shared human search for meaning, belonging, and continuity.As the founder of Seven Dawgs and other ventures that span food, culture, and design, Mohamed’s work moves fluidly between industries and ideas, reflecting his belief that creativity knows no single form. Each project he builds is a dialogue between tradition and innovation, rooted in the curiosity to build, evolve, and reimagine.His forthcoming book, Letters to My Father, Letters from His Legacy, delves into the quiet lessons of time, humility, and renewal—threads that tie the intimate to the universal, and turn inherited wisdom into living dialogue. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

In this heartfelt and powerful talk, Maitha Al Hameli — marine conservationist and sustainability advocate — reflects on how protecting nature is not just an environmental mission, but an act of cultural preservation.From childhood days fishing with her father and uncle to leading marine conservation initiatives across Abu Dhabi, Maitha shares a deeply personal journey that connects heritage, science, and hope. She warns of shifting baseline syndrome — the quiet danger of forgetting what abundance once looked like — and urges us to act before our lowered expectations become the new normal.Yet her message is not one of despair, but of resilience. Abu Dhabi’s corals, reefs, and mangroves are surviving in conditions that defeat ecosystems elsewhere. They are living proof that nature, when respected and restored, can recover.Her call is simple but profound: the sea built us — now it needs us.Key ideas:- The cultural roots of environmental stewardship in the UAE - Understanding shifting baselines and the danger of forgetting - Abu Dhabi as a model of resilience in climate adaptation - Restoration science: rebuilding nature with knowledge, not guesswork - Balancing progress and preservation: plan around habitats, not over themRecorded live at TEDxAlBateen 2025 — themed “Threads of Us,” celebrating the connections between nature, culture, and the shared responsibility that binds generations together.#TEDxAlBateen #MaithaAlHameli #ThreadsOfUs #Environment #Conservation #UAE #Sustainability #ClimateAction #Heritage #MarineLife For more than 16 years, Al Hameli has been dedicated to marine conservation in the UAE. At Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, she led habitat restoration, wildlife rescue, biodiversity surveys, and the development of conservation management plans. Her projects include the UAE’s first systematic dolphin and seagrass surveys, as well as a community-driven turtle release program.Al Hameli collaborates with scientists worldwide to protect dugongs as a member of the IUCN Dugong Technical Group, and to advance coral and seagrass restoration. With business and technology partners, she has tested drone-based mangrove seeding and helped establish one of the region’s most resilient coral nurseries in the Gulf’s warm waters.Her work focuses on practical solutions that align climate action with economic development. She partners with the private sector to pilot innovative methods such as seagrass propagation, ensuring that conservation is not only ecological but also sustainable and scalable. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

In this heartfelt and inspiring TEDxAlBateen talk, Maysa Al Nowais, Executive Director at Ma’an — the Authority of Social Contribution, shares how one lesson from her mother sparked a lifelong journey to redefine what social responsibility truly means.Through touching family stories and powerful examples from her work at Ma’an, Maysa reveals how compassion, when organized, can move an entire society forward. From a six-year-old’s act of kindness to the creation of life-changing projects like the Abu Dhabi Dialysis Center and the Journey of Generations program, her message is clear: real change begins at home — and grows through every hand that gives.Maysa’s talk shows how the UAE is building a future where generosity is not an event, but an ecosystem — one where government, business, and community unite to turn empathy into sustainable impact.Key ideas:- How family values shape lifelong social responsibility - Turning compassion into measurable community impact - Building bridges between government, private sector, and people - The power of small acts to create large-scale change - Why progress without compassion will always be incompleteRecorded live at TEDxAlBateen 2025 — themed “Threads of Us,” celebrating the connections that bind families, communities, and nations through empathy and purpose.#TEDxAlBateen #MaysaAlNowais #ThreadsOfUs #SocialResponsibility #AbuDhabi #Inspiration #Giving #Compassion Her Excellency Maysa AlNuwais is the Executive Director of Community Engagement & Volunteering at the Authority of Social Contribution - Ma’an, the Abu Dhabi Government entity operating under the Department of Community Development. The Authority was established to amplify the development and engagement of a connected, collaborative community within the UAE capital.With 24 years of leadership experience across multiple industries and a robust foundation in project management, AlNuwais navigates her role orchestrating projects and initiatives from inception to fruition, amplifying community engagement across Abu Dhabi.Beyond her role at the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an, AlNuwais has demonstrated business prowess through several successful ventures. Her entrepreneurial spirit and expertise in various industries complement her community-focused endeavors, showcasing her versatility and commitment to impactful change. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx