Dubai: Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) and Member of the Dubai Council, will head the UAE delegation to the 26th International Council of Museums (ICOM) General Conference 2022 in Prague, Czech Republic.
The conference is set to take place from August 20 to 28 under the theme ‘The Power of Museums’. During her visit, Sheikha Latifa will be accompanied by Reem Al Hashimi, Minister of State for International Cooperation, and Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture, in addition to other officials from the UAE’s cultural sector.
The UAE delegation’s participation in ICOM 2022 aims to strengthen channels of communication with the international cultural community and exchange knowledge and expertise in the museum sector.
ICOME Prague
ICOM Prague 2022 is set to bring together thousands of experts from across the world to discuss issues of sustainable development, leadership, and debate the impact of museums on the development of civil society and the use of new technologies. The event will focus on four key themes: Purpose (Museums and Civil Society); Sustainability (Museums and Resilience); Vision (Museums and Leadership); and Delivery (Museums and New Technologies). The General Conference will also provide a platform to discuss and redefine museums.
Delegation
The UAE delegation from Dubai Culture includes Muna Faisal AlGurg, CEO of the Culture and Heritage Sector; Mariam Al Afridi, Executive Director of the Chairperson’s Office; and Maryam Mudhaffar Ahli, Project Manager in the Museums Department. The delegation also consists of representatives from the UAE’s chapter of ICOM (ICOM-UAE), including Rashad Bukhash, Interim Chair of ICOM-UAE, and several ICOM-UAE members from the country’s museum sector.
Bid file
Founded in 1946 under the umbrella of the United Nations, ICOM is a global organisation specialising in museums, their development and coordination. ICOM currently has over 50,000 members from 122 countries and nearly 20,000 museums worldwide.
ICOM-UAE, in cooperation with Dubai Culture, Dubai Municipality and the Department of Economy and Tourism, had submitted the UAE’s bid to host ICOM 2025 in Dubai under the theme ‘The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities’. After winning the bid, the emirate became the first city in the Middle East North Africa South Asia (MENASA) region to host this prestigious international conference. Dubai will join forces with experts and museum professionals from around the world to establish methods for societies to be more prepared and responsive to changes, ensuring a more sustainable future for humanity.
