Dubai Culture Organises Activities to Take Part during Dubai Mall’s ‘9 Hijri’ Ramadan Initiative

Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated entity for culture, arts and heritage, is partnering with Dubai Mall to organise a unique Islamic Culture and Art experience — ‘9 Hijri’ — during Ramadan. The initiative will feature workshops, storytelling sessions and exhibitions, as well as live art presented by artists hand-picked from the SIKKA Art Fair 2018, supporting Dubai Culture’s mandates to nurture local talent and establish Dubai as the capital of the Islamic Creative Economy. 

Artists will include Jaber Al Haddad, who will hold ‘Islamic Geometry’ workshops and exhibition, and Diaa Allam, who will host a calligraphy street art live-painting session. Dubai Culture will also provide a platform for Tamashee, a culture-focused initiative that will present an exhibition of ‘Al Qatt’ — an intricately beautiful art form hailing from Saudi Arabia. Tamashee will also host storytelling sessions that will take young adults and adults on journeys through Saudi villages.

Another storytelling session will be held by Hamad Al Shamsi with Ramadan stories suitable for all ages, and children are also warmly welcomed to take part in the inspirational workshops led by Bismillah Babies — an organisation that works to cultivate a love for Islam in children’s hearts. 

Shaima Al Suwaidi, Director Of Marketing & Corporate Communication and Acting Director of Projects & Events Department at Dubai Culture, commented: “Dubai Culture strives to support and embolden local talents by providing them with platforms for showcasing their work. To maintain the momentum of SIKKA 2018, we are delighted to be bringing back a number of artists who appeared at the fair and giving them a fresh opportunity to share their talent with the public at Dubai Mall. ‘9 Hijri’ also supports our efforts to establish Dubai as the home of the Islamic Creative Economy in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai,  to position Dubai as the capital of the Islamic Economy globally. We welcome all visitors to join us for a unique occasion that celebrates Islamic Art and Culture during the holy month.”

In addition, Dubai Culture will showcase a portrait under the theme ‘Year of Zayed’ in partnership with The Ajala Project, which is a large canvas with hundreds of earbuds that narrates stories and speeches by the Late Sheikh Zayed. His portrait is translated into earbuds similar to the Year of Zayed illustration that commemorates the occasion of the 100th year since the birth of the Late Sheikh Zayed Sultan Al Nahyan. 

Dubai Culture aims to enhance Dubai’s cultural scene and draw attention to the Emirate’s rich heritage with a variety of initiatives that take place throughout the year. The Authority’s mandate is to build bridges of constructive dialogue between different civilisations and cultures through enriching initiatives that benefit the Emirate’s citizens, residents and visitors.