Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated entity for culture, arts and heritage, is preparing to launch its Traditional Handicrafts Strategy. The announcement predates the Safeguarding Emirati Cultural Heritage Forum, which will be held on 5th and 6th March at Etihad Museum under the Patronage of H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice Chairman of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority.
This launch aligns with Dubai Culture’s Five-Year 2021 Sectoral Strategy, as it lays the foundation for strengthening the social fabric in the UAE, by preserving traditional handicrafts and ensuring their sustainability. The Strategy builds on a comprehensive vision to establish Dubai as a leader in creativity, innovation, and happiness, in line with the Five-Year Sectoral Plan, while developing the traditional handicraft sector and encouraging young people to get involved in it. For this, Dubai Culture has made tireless efforts to promote the handicraft sector and highlight the importance of preserving cultural heritage, by working in unison with government and non-government entities, at local and federal levels, and effectively transferring knowledge to further grow and develop the handicraft sector, both culturally, socially and economically.
Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting Director General at Dubai Culture, said, “Dubai’s leadership gives special attention to cultural heritage, particularly traditional handicrafts, by providing the needed resources and legislative infrastructure for these creative sectors to flourish. The establishment of Dubai Culture was the first step towards achieving this objective. To develop the legislative infrastructure and bolster the traditional handicraft industry, relevant laws and regulations were put in place. These regulations have helped in activating cultural and heritage assets and developing public policies, plans, and programmes. It has also enabled coordination of roles within relevant entities, thereby promoting heritage events and fueling younger generation’s interest in heritage.”
Al Nabouda added, “Dubai Culture is proud to be helping UAE maintain a leading position as the member of leading international organisations, as we seek to employ best practices and international standards to safeguard, protect, and document Emirati cultural heritage.”
Al Nabouda concluded, “We are striving to preserve the UAE’s cultural heritage for future generations by partnering with sister countries and helping submit joint nomination applications in order to preserve and document heritage elements and assets. As per our mandate, we are conscious of the significance of Emirati cultural heritage as an integral part of our personal and national identities and the civilized mindsets.”
Furthermore, Dubai Culture has worked to align these strategic objectives with its sectoral strategy and the Dubai Plan 2021 objectives, in order to build a diverse and multi-cultural community in Dubai, making it a source of inspiration and pride. Furthering Dubai Culture’s efforts to promote a cohesive society proud of its identity, the Strategy works towards realising the objectives of the National Agenda of the UAE Vision 2021 which is to make the UAE among the best countries in the world by the Golden Jubilee of the Union.
Dubai Culture demonstrated its interest in developing traditional handicrafts and promoting their practice among young people by establishing the Dubai Heritage Development Centres at Dubai Government schools, under its partnership agreement with Dubai Educational Zone. These centres aim to develop a cultural and educational platform to promote the UAE’s authentic heritage and portray the lives of the older generations in a tangible way. They also work to instill relevant values in the students and develop their skills through hosting expert-led seminars to train students and qualify them to enter the field of traditional handicrafts in its different environments, empowering them to help safeguard heritage, and ensure it lives on, across future generations.
Dubai Culture aims to enhance Dubai’s cultural scene and draw attention to the UAE’s rich heritage. The Authority’s mandate is to build bridges of constructive dialogue between different civilisations and cultures to enhance Dubai’s position as a creative and sustainable global city for culture, heritage, arts, and literature, with the aim to empower these sectors by developing creative and innovative projects and initiatives locally, regionally, and globally.
Dubai Culture is committed to enriching the cultural landscape of the Emirate of Dubai with the UAE heritage and nurture the cultural dialogue between different civilisations, to enhance Dubai’s position as a creative and sustainable global city for culture, heritage, arts and literature, empowering these sectors, and developing innovative projects and initiatives locally, regionally and globally.
