#DubaiDestinations initiative will continue to showcase the city’s prominent landmarks and events

Under the directives of Ahmed bin Mohammed ..#DubaiDestinations takes residents and visitors on a cultural tour of #DubaiArtSeason’s must-visit creative landmarks and events

Mona Al Marri: We are proud to collaborate with Dubai Culture in a partnership that aims to showcase Dubai’s cultural identity and establish its position as the creative capital of the region.

Hala Badri: Dubai Art Season is a global event that reflects the emirate’s cultural status with a variety of artistic creations from around the world.

Shaima Al Suwaidi: Brand Dubai is participating in the campaign by issuing guides to highlight the most important art events and their venues during the season.

Dubai Culture organises the Sikka Art and Design Festival in Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood to celebrate the growing creative and cultural scene in Dubai.

Art Dubai provides visitors with an opportunity to explore contemporary and modern arts from all over the world, and attend a specialised collection of workshops and panel discussions.

The Dubai International Financial Centre hosts 300 international exhibitions that showcase different types of fine arts, Arabic calligraphy, and graffiti.

Al Quoz and Alserkal Avenue host a series of creative cultural activities, including a wide range of art exhibitions, talks and happenings.

Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, the #DubaiDestinations initiative will continue to showcase the city’s prominent landmarks and events, specifically focusing on the arts and culture sector as part of the ongoing Dubai Art Season, in the coming weeks.

The Dubai Art Season, which launched on 1 February and runs until 20 March 2023, is held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) and Member of the Dubai Council. The Season showcases a diverse programme of artistic and musical activities, underscoring Dubai’s global cultural stature and exceptional offerings.

Under the theme of ‘Take a Walk on the Art Side,’ the season features a variety of initiatives that will transform Dubai into an oasis of comprehensive arts throughout February and March 2023. The programmes include the Sikka Art and Design Festival, Art Dubai, Dubai Opera performances, DIFC Art Nights, and many other entertainment activities.
Her Excellency Mona Al Marri, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council, expressed her appreciation for the partnership with Dubai Culture. “We are proud to collaborate with Dubai Culture in a partnership that aims to showcase Dubai’s cultural identity and establish its position as the creative capital of the region.” She commended Dubai Culture for its prominent role in showcasing Dubai’s cultural landscape through the diversity of its events held across the city.

“Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the #DubaiDestinations campaign continues to promote the emirate’s prominent destinations and major events held throughout the year, including economic, cultural, sports, and other global events that reinforce Dubai’s position as the world’s best city to live, work, and visit,” Al Marri said.

She added: “The #DubaiArtSeason is one of the most prominent cultural events organised by Dubai Culture, featuring a global cultural character that brings together artists and art enthusiasts from all over the world. The event celebrates different forms of art, highlights talented artists, and raises public awareness about the importance of culture as an active element in developing societies, by showcasing unique global art experiences hosted by Dubai.”

Global creations in Dubai
Her Excellency Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and Member of the Dubai Media Council, emphasised the importance of the season. “Dubai Art Season is a global event that reflects Dubai’s cultural status with a variety of artistic creations from around the world. These events provide art enthusiasts with the opportunity to access global artistic creations spread throughout the emirate during this time of the year, and also play a significant role in supporting the economic dimension of the art season to further promote the development of the arts and cement Dubai’s position as a global capital of the creative economy, in line with the objectives of the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy.”
Badri added: “The involvement of the audience in the various local and international art events and activities, and their engagement with these diverse activities throughout the season in different parts of Dubai, is highly significant. This emphasises the importance of media support in acquainting the community with these events and their many opportunities for positive interaction with their content. We believe in this importance of education, and hence the majority of these events include workshops, talks and panels that contribute to educating community members, increase their of the growing local arts scene, and support our talent in further developing their skills.”

Dubai Art Season 2023 includes several events and activities, including the 11th edition of Sikka Art & Design Festival running from 24 February to 5 March in Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood under the theme ‘New Creativity. Same Path,’ as well as the 16th edition of the Art Dubai exhibition, which will take place at Madinat Jumeirah from 1 to 5 March 2023. Amidst art discussions, the exhibition will also witness an Etihad Museum session organised by Dubai Culture, in which several artists and creatives will gather to present new ideas inspired by handicrafts, reflecting their view of the future of these crafts.

Destination Guides
Shaima Al Suwaidi, Director of Brand Dubai, the creative arm of the Government of Dubai Media Office, said: “Brand Dubai is supporting the Dubai Art Season by issuing guides to highlight the most important art events and their venues during the season. We will also use social media platforms to promote these events and disseminate information about them to facilitate easy access for the public. Further, Brand Dubai will participate in many other promotional activities within the campaign to endorse it. We work with our ever-evolving network of community, media, content creators and influencers to promote the #DubaiDestinations campaign, which includes highlighting the city’s cultural and creative landmarks and events during the Dubai Art Season initiative.”

Sikka Art & Design Festival
Sikka Art & Design Festival is being held in Dubai's Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood from 24 February to 5 March 2023. The comprehensive annual celebration supports and showcases the growing creative and cultural scene in Dubai by supporting and displaying the works of Emirati and UAE & GCC-based artists, as well as providing them with an opportunity to interact with their peers from around the world.

Art Dubai at Madinat Jumeirah
The Art Dubai exhibition will take place in Jumeirah from March 1 to 5, 2023, and will offer visitors the opportunity to view contemporary and modern art from all over the world, as well as participate in workshops and panel discussions led by a selection of experts and artists who will discuss topics related to the field of art. The exhibition will also feature specialised sessions that bring together artists and creatives from different parts of the world.

DIFC Art Nights
The DIFC Art Nights is one of the most important annual activities hosted by Gate Avenue. The World Art Dubai event annually attracts over 4,000 people, including artists, collectors and fashionistas. It also aims to support Dubai’s art scene and highlight the most creative works. The “M2L Market” in Gate Avenue – DIFC will celebrate entertainment, art and food, providing visitors with the opportunity to live different experiences and taste new international flavours.

Additionally, Alserkal Avenue—a vibrant community that covers over 500,000 sqft. of Dubai’s Al Quoz industrial area—host a series of creative cultural events. Throughout February and March, Alserkal Avenue and Alserkal Arts Foundation will host a series of creative cultural activities, including a wide range of art exhibitions, talks and happenings, like “The Tree School” initiative, a gathering place for groups and individuals interested in learning from each other and sharing common urgencies based on lived experience.

Dubai in the Year 1962
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the UAE and Japan, Dubai Culture, in cooperation with the Japanese Consulate in Dubai, is laying on the “Dubai in the Year 1962” exhibition, which is supported by the Sankei Shimbun Newspaper and Kimi Makishima-Akai, including 25 photos documenting life of Dubai in 1962, taken by Yoshio Kawashima, a Japanese photojournalist from the Sankei Shimbun Newspaper, during his visit to the Middle East, accompanied by his colleague,  journalist Hiroshi Kato.

Dubai Opera
Throughout the year, Dubai Opera will present a series of musical and theatrical performances that highlight the creativity of regional and international performing arts and musical talent, while the digital arts centre ‘Infinity des Lumières’ in the Dubai Mall shall showcase digital art exhibitions across the same period in an innovative technological manner.

The current #DubaiDestinations campaign brings together a wide range of public and private sector stakeholders to showcase the emirate’s art experiences.  The initiative also brings together some of the emirate’s most accomplished creatives including influencers, photographers, digital media content creators, animators and videographers to create compelling new content about Dubai’s art destination offerings.