Dubai Culture to Showcase the Emirate’s Flourishing Arts and Cultural Scene on Global Stage at ITB Berlin

 Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate's dedicated entity for culture, arts and heritage, has announced its participation in ITB Berlin – the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show® – as part of the Emirate’s stand at the event and in collaboration with the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). The show will take place from 8th to 12th March 2017 in Germany, and see the Authority shedding light on the city’s culture, arts and heritage highlights.

His Excellency Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting Director General of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, commented: “ITB Berlin offers us a unique and valuable platform for promoting Dubai’s flourishing artistic and cultural scene on the global stage. We are committed to collaborating with government organisations like DTCM to support cultural tourism and the creative economy – both crucial contributors to Dubai’s thriving economy – by establishing Dubai as a global cultural and artistic hub. At ITB Berlin, we will be promoting visitor highlights including the recently opened Etihad Museum and the upcoming Dubai Art Season, which is the Authority’s flagship initiative and offers tourists an unmatched celebration of talent, creativity, innovation and cultural diversity.”

During ITB Berlin, Dubai Culture will showcase Dubai Art Season – a two-month citywide initiative of artistic and cultural events held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice Chairman of Dubai Culture. For the fourth year running, it will bring the city to life with activations of art in public spaces, outdoor art projects, interactive initiatives, workshops, exhibitions, panel discussions, and performances held across Dubai to highlight the Emirate’s fast-growing creative landscape.

Dubai Culture’s mandate to preserve Emirati heritage will also be highlighted at ITB Berlin, where the Authority will promote the recently opened Etihad Museum. Guiding visitors on a journey through the monumental events that surrounded the agreement signing and Union declaration of 1971, the museum offers an insight into the Emirate’s rich history and is also one of the city’s most breath-taking tourist attractions.

Bringing a taste of Dubai’s thriving artistic scene to the fair, the Authority’s stand will also present Emirati artist Fatima Al Hammadi, who is a member of many local art associations and has participated in 13 exhibitions both inside and outside of the UAE. Fatima’s participation at the fair will see her showcasing her graffiti art skills and sharing her distinctive technique of blending the beauty of calligraphy with vivid and carefully selected colours.

Staged annually in Berlin, ITB Berlin features 10,000 exhibitors from 180+ countries, attracting over 120,000 trade visitors from the travel and tourism sectors. Showcasing the entire world under one roof, the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show® is the centre and pivotal point of the entire industry, featuring top destinations alongside hot topics and trends.

Dubai Culture is instrumental in enhancing Dubai’s cultural identity and establishing the city as a global destination for the world’s art lovers. Dubai Culture also aims to support the strong role that the cultural scene plays in driving tourism – a core economic sector for the city.

For more information, kindly visit:

Web: www.dubaiculture.gov.ae

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DubaiCultureArtsAuthority

Twitter: @DubaiCulture

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/DubaiCulture

Instagram: @dubaiculture

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About Dubai Culture & Arts Authority:

The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) was launched on March 8, 2008 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in order to drive the growth of the city’s artistic and cultural landscape. The Authority has grown to play a major role in the realization of the Dubai Plan 2021, to highlight Dubai as a thriving capital for creative industries and further embed the Emirate’s credentials as a city of happy, creative and empowered people.

As part of its mandate, Dubai Culture has several initiatives that are focused on strengthening both the historic and modern cultural fabric of Dubai, including Dubai Art Season - the city’s premier umbrella arts initiative which kicks off with Emirates Airline Festival of Literature and encompasses Art Week including Art Dubai, Design Days Dubai, and SIKKA Art Fair, Middle East Film & Comic Con, SIKKA Art Fair - an annual event aimed at promoting Emirati and local artists in the UAE and the wider GCC region, Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre - an annual festival that fosters the art of theatre in the UAE and that is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2016, and Dubai Next - a dynamic platform that aims to showcase the Emirate’s cultural ethos and its vibrant creative scene on the global stage.

The Authority’s other key initiatives include Creatopia (www.creatopia.ae) - the nation’s first government empowered virtual community that guides and nurtures the creative culture of the nation and provides a platform of information and opportunities that lead to exposure and personal growth.

Dubai Culture also plays a leading role in support of the UAE National Strategy for Reading 2026, in particular by undertaking a major refurbishment of all Dubai Public Libraries branches to transform them into state-of-art cultural and artistic hubs. Across all of its branches, Dubai Public Library also provides children and young adults with a range of educational and entertaining activities that encourage the use of its facilities. The ‘Our Summer is Filled with Culture & Arts Programme’ is a Dubai Public Library initiative which complements the UAE National Reading Strategy, with its activities open to all age groups, and which revolve around four key themes: happiness, reading, family and the future.

The Authority also manages more than 17 heritage sites across the Emirate, and is a key government stakeholder in the development of the Dubai Historical District. As the custodian Authority of Dubai’s museum sector, Dubai Culture will officially launch Etihad Museum and in December 2016. The museum will provide platform to encourage cultural exchange and to connect Emirati youth with their culture and history. As part of the Authority mandate to support Dubai’s vision of becoming the focal point of diverse cultural exchange (regionally & globally), the museums will play a catalyst role in preserving Emirati Heritage.

For more information on Dubai Culture, visit www.dubaiculture.gov.ae