The Council for Australian-Arab Relations (CAAR) will support 13 projects following a competitive grant round attracting applicants from all over Australia and the Arab world.
CAAR Chairman, Mr Talal Yassine OAM said "I am proud of the progress the Council has made and it is wonderful to see the growing community support for building links between Australia and the Arab world. The CAAR is always on the lookout for great projects and I encourage all to consider applying in the future."
The CAAR grants, totaling over $300,000, will support partnerships between Australian and Arab universities, professional bodies and private sector organisations in the areas of education, business, media and the arts.
These grants include media internships in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan for Australian journalism students, speaking tours and visiting fellowships in Australia for Iraqi, Tunisian and Egyptian academics. The CAAR will be the major sponsor of the 'World of Women Film Fair Middle East' in Dubai, the only festival for female film makers in the region which will promote and award the talents of women directors, producers, writers, editors and cinematographers in the film industry internationally.
In recognition of the growing demand for Australian food in the Middle East, the CAAR is also supporting an Arab TV cooking show series across Australia, featuring Master Chef Tarek Ibrahim.
The CAAR grants program for 2016–2017 will open on 1 February 2016. More information about successful grant recipients and the grants program can be found on the CAAR website.
Established by the Australian Government in 2003, the Council has built professional, community and institutional linkages between Australia and the Arab world.
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