My UAE: pioneering political author Hamad Al Hammady

The author Hamad Al Hammady. Courtesy Hamad Al Hammady

Hamad Al Hammady isn’t afraid to tackle controversial topics head on. The writer’s politically charged first novel, Retaj, was made into a TV drama that was watched by millions across the Arab world when it was screened during ­Ramadan last year.

Al Hammady’s writing is a far cry from his day job as secretary general of ­Mohammed bin Rashid Global Centre for Endowments Consultancy.

Although the 39-year-old father of five has been keeping a diary for the past 22 years, he never thought of himself as an author until he began turning to social media to express his thoughts in 2011.

“I started writing statements of my opinions about management, philosophy and different life experiences that I felt like sharing on social media,” explains Al Hammady, who now has more than 28,000 Twitter followers.

In 2012, he had the idea of turning his most-memorable tweets into short stories to form a book. “As I converted each tweet, I was thinking about the decisions we make in our lives and how they affect us,” he says. “I tried to make it into a self-­development book, but using stories rather than academic information.”

The title, Left Towards the Heart, reflects the core question at the heart of the book: are we using our hearts or our minds when making life decisions?

“By the end of the book, you know if you’re an intellectual person or a very emotional person who is making life decisions based on what your heart is telling you,” Al Hammady explains.

Although there are numerous self-help books written in English, Al Hammady says they’re still a rarity in Arabic. “That’s what encouraged me to write this book on topics based on the reality of our lives in the UAE.”

For Al Hammady’s next writing foray, he decided to pen a novel. His primary reason for choosing a political topic was a practical one. “I scanned the local market, and found there weren’t any Emirati novels addressing political issues,” he says. “The main political issue at that time was the Muslim Brotherhood, so I decided to write about them.”

But Al Hammady had some trepidation as he began researching. “My plan was to write whatever I wanted, but with the knowledge that parts of it might later be deleted,” he explains.

But when the book Retaj (Betrayal of the Country) was published in 2014, nothing had been deleted by the censors.

Retaj revolves around the titular young lady, who is forced to look after her ailing father until she discovers terrible secrets about his affiliations.

Three months after publication, Abu Dhabi TV wanted to turn the novel into the UAE’s first political drama series.

The nail-biting opening scene, which depicts the capturing of a secret cell from the Muslim Brotherhood, is based on actual events that took place in the UAE in 2012. But while Al Hammady wanted the TV series to be purely political, the scriptwriter added some side stories that he thought were irrelevant – “a love story and a drug addiction – the kinds of stories we’re used to seeing on TV”, he says.

“Each episode was being submitted to Abu Dhabi TV just 12 hours before casting for it, which was very difficult for us,” he explains. “However, we took full advantage of the feedback we were getting from social media. We were able to change and delete some scenes for the next episode before submitting it.”

Retaj became the most watched home-grown TV series ever in the UAE, and Al Hammady was bestowed with a UAE ­Pioneers Award by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

In 2015, he published another political novel, For Ghaith, about an Emirati in ISIL. Although terrorist groups might seem like a bleak subject, Al Hammady is no pessimist. When, in his 20s, he took his doctorate at the University of ­Melbourne, he focused on how artificial intelligence can be used to predict future events. He hopes it will become a force for good: "I'm very happy that the UAE is paying great attention to this field."

Who is your favourite writer?

Dan Brown. I'm not attracted to all his novels, but I do like The Da Vinci Code.

Which novelist are you most similar to?

Novelists in Egypt, Algeria and Morocco, who frequently write about their political issues. Even if their novels aren’t overtly political, there are short stories within their novels that are tackling political issues. But in the UAE, I’m the pioneer.

Which self-development expert has influenced your thinking the most?

Stephen Covey. I like to read his books – I think they are very deep concepts, but also very simple to understand.

Where do you like to go on holiday?

The country I like to visit again and again is Australia. I studied there for four years and I went with my kids in 2013. It’s a place I plan to visit every five to seven years.

Who inspires you the most in your life?

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed [Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces] and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid [Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai], for creating something new compared to other countries in the region. I’m not talking about how beautiful the UAE is – I’m talking about the futuristic visions they’re having. It’s rare to have one month passing without having some outstanding achievement announced from one of these two leaders.

What’s your favourite food?

Grilled salmon and pasta. I try to be healthy.

What's the best piece of advice you have ever been given?'

The bad things that happen to you might be the reason for the greatest things that will happen later on. I’ve found this to be the case many times in my life.

Who do you follow on social media?

I follow many Emirati novelists because most of us are friends, and I want to be updated on news of their novels.

What’s your favourite thing to do when you come home from work?

I like to tell my kids stories. I have 2-year-old twin boys, and I repeat short stories to them all the time, which they like. I feel that it’s important for them to hear such stories to expand their thoughts, and to link them to their father.