London: The ‘Dubai Next’ talk organised by Dubai Culture, on the sidelines of Shubbak Festival, London’s largest biennial festival of contemporary Arab arts and culture, underlined the importance of Dubai’s creative economy in boosting the city’s livability and in attracting talent, resources and visitors.
Organised at The Serpentine Gallery, in partnership with Vision magazine, a quarterly publication offering fresh perspectives from Dubai, the talk was attended by more than 100 high-profile cultural leaders and artists, who also attended a networking reception.
Dignitaries at the event included Abdul Rahman Ganem Al Mutaiwe’e, the UAE Ambassador to the United Kingdom; Mohammad Al Murr, Speaker of the UAE Federal National Council; Afra Al Basti, Director-General of the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children; Shaikh Mohammad Bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, First Secretary of the UAE Embassy in UK; and Abdul Gaffar Hussain, Chairman of Emirates Human Rights Association, among others.
Discussing the theme ‘Creativity and City Culture,’ the Dubai Next talk contributed to building on Dubai’s reputation as a global hub for creativity and innovation through its focus on building a world-class cultural infrastructure.
Shaikha Latifa Bint Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-Chairman of Dubai Culture, said: “The strong response from the world’s leading cultural figures to Dubai Next is a strong statement on the successful track record that our city has set in building dynamic platforms to promote the creative industry.
We firmly believe that creativity and innovation are the true game changers of future cities, which will lend them a distinctive personality. Dubai has always realised the importance of strengthening its cultural scene not only as a bridge to its illustrious heritage but also to engaging creatively with international talents.”
Al Mutaiwe’e said that Dubai is well-known as a global city of the future and is fast establishing itself as the cultural capital of the region. “Initiatives such as the Dubai Next event in London have an important role to play in fostering intercultural dialogue and encouraging creative partnerships between our two great cities,” he added.
A dynamic platform aimed at highlighting the vibrant creative scene of Dubai and its cultural ethos, Dubai Next sessions were earlier held this year by Dubai Culture at the opening week of Expo Milano 2015 and during the 56th International Art Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia. Both events gained tremendous response from the international cultural community.
