ABSTRACT
Rym Ghazal has written about Ali al Doury, professional master calligrapher, artist and head of the Sharjah Centre for Arabic Calligraphy and Ornamentation. Egypt's Academy of the Arts includes the High Institute of Folk Arts, one mission of which is to train performers in music and dance. Amateur and professional theater and puppetry constitute an active part of the modern Middle East and North Africa (MENA) cultural scene, which is flavored with some typical ingredients of the region. The architecture is available for some Arabs and Persians as a serious pursuit, at first as a student-amateur passion then later as a devotee occupation. Sport and games make up only part of the total repertoire of serious leisure activities. Most countries in the MENA have beaches, where people may swim, suntan, and engage in other outdoor casual leisure activities. In addition there are some broader signs of community involvement and opportunities for volunteering in such activity.
