Ali Al-Naama
I was born into a family that was heavily involved in the media and publishing industry. My grandfather Abdulla Hussain Al-Naama is credited as the establisher of the sector, a pioneer of the written media in Qatar. I am Ali Al-Naama.
Growing up, I have always seen my grandfather working. I remember at just five years old visiting him at his office as he shows me around the different divisions of Al Arab newspaper headquarters, and I knew from a very young age that I would want to be involved somehow. I just did not know when and how. All I had is the memory that sparked my ambitions to write.
TO me, writing is more than just trying to unleash my creative side, I write to serve a purpose, to communicate thoughts and to be able to get my messages across. Behind every written story, a little bit of reality and behind every word, a reason why it is chosen.
My passion for the tourism industry has driven me to write about the sector. “I’m Such a Tourist” is my debut non-fiction educational book as it takes the reader on a journey through the beginning of the travel practice, examining how tourists think and what motivates them to travel. What sparked my interest to invest my time and investigate about the tourism industry is my curiosity on what formulates the tourist’s mindset and how he/she thinks. In the book I say “New thinking creates new inventions, new inventions influence new thinking, and this means the tourist’s thinking is progressing too, pushing the industry to stretch and form”.
I believe everyone has a creative mindset, just different ways of expression. My message to people is to explore and find ideas on how to work towards something that connects people. It may seem blur at the beginning, it may also be challenging to figure out, but with faith and persistence, people can paint life the way they see it and produce content beautifully. Everyone has a story to tell, and there are always people who would listen carefully.