New cultural achievements and projects ... and initiatives that support knowledge and the arts

Harvest 2020 ... UAE creativity wins over the crisis

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In light of the exceptional atmosphere witnessed in 2020 due to the Corona pandemic, and the restrictions it imposed on the world and the general closure that lasted for months, in addition to the precautionary measures imposed by the crisis, and still imposed on life and societies, to limit the spread of infection with the virus .. In light of these conditions Perhaps the most prominent title in many countries for 2020 is the year of closure and crises, but in the UAE, 2020 is a year of challenge, innovation and creativity in proposing alternative plans to continue life in various areas of life, and the launch of many initiatives that support creators, creativity, culture and the arts.

Advances and first centers

Despite the "Covid-19" pandemic, 2020 witnessed many achievements and indicators of progress made by the UAE in culture, arts and social life, so that the country registered its name in global advanced centers, and here are a number of the most prominent of these achievements:

“Aflajs” and “Camels” at UNESCO

December 2020 witnessed the inclusion of the national aflaj file submitted in the name of the UAE and the joint camel race file between the UAE and the Sultanate of Oman in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), during the 15th periodic meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Preservation of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in Paris from 14 to 19 December.

Dubai is at the forefront of cultural interaction

The “Global Strong Cities 2020” index, issued by the Institute for Urban Strategies - the Japanese “Mori Memorial” Foundation, showed Dubai ranked first in the region and sixth in the cultural interaction criterion, which measures the performance of cities in terms of leadership, attractions, the number of cultural facilities, and the availability of amenities. Your visitors, and communicate.

Dubai has also climbed from 19th place in 2019 to 17th in 2020, in the Global Strong Cities Index 2020.

gender equality

The UAE has made a leap in the gender equality index, issued by the United Nations Development Program for the year 2020, after it rose to the 18th position globally and first in the Arab world, so that the UAE climbed eight ranks in the index ladder within one year only, as in 2019 it ranked 26th, achieving that target NBK is to reach the list of the top 25 countries in the world in this index by 2021.

Soft Power Index

In the Global Soft Power Index report, launched by the British Brand Finance Corporation, in cooperation with the University of Oxford, last February, the UAE ranked first in the Middle East region, and 18th in the world, in the soft power index and 11th globally in its global strategic impact within the index.

4 new locations

The UAE succeeded in listing four archaeological sites in Ras Al Khaimah, which are: “Julphar, the commercial city, and the pearl trade city in the Red Island, and it included the cultural scene of Dhayah” on the UNESCO preliminary list, bringing the number of Emirati sites registered on the list to 12 sites.

A never-ending career path

The process of work and achievement in the UAE did not stop during 2020, as this year witnessed the unveiling of many cultural and artistic projects, and the launch of many diverse initiatives, despite the exceptional circumstances imposed by the pandemic, and among those projects and initiatives:

"Khorfakkan Amphitheater" and "Waterfall"

On December 15th, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated the “Khorfakkan Amphitheater”, which is the largest development project in the city, at the foot of the Sayyida Mountain, facing the beach of Khorfakkan, and was designed in the Roman style. Stone façades include 234 arches and 295 columns.

His Highness also inaugurated the tourist waterfall teacher, and witnessed the first screening of the historical cinematic epic "Khor Fakkan".

House of wisdom

On the ninth of this December, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated the "House of Wisdom" building, an innovative cultural project that embodies the latest model for future libraries in the world, and documents the history of Sharjah winning the title of the World Book Capital, from Before the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 2019.

Jubail Island and Crimean Walk

In January 2020, Abu Dhabi launched the Al Qurum Walkway on Jubail Island, between Saadiyat Island and Yas Island, thus offering one of the most amazing destinations for nature lovers in the Emirates, and “Jubail” was chosen for the presentation of the official celebration of the 49th National Day of the UAE, titled “Planting the Union”.

The first report on the state of the Arabic language

The Ministry of Culture and Youth launched the first research report that monitors the state of the Arabic language in several axes, within the activities of the World Arabic Language Day, based on the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to be a basis and an expanded study, to approach challenges The Arabic language, in a scientific way, helps to develop methods of using it, teach it and empower it as a means of communication and acquiring knowledge.

Al Ain Film Festival

Under the slogan "Cinema of the Future", last January, the activities of the second edition of the Al Ain Film Festival were held in the presence of a large number of Emirati, Gulf and Arab filmmakers. The festival included five competitions and 11 prizes.

“Al-Musli” wins an international award

Al Musalla, the iconic edifice in the Al Hosn area in Abu Dhabi, won first place in the global A + Artizer award in the interior design and creative ceiling category, surpassing the international projects participating in the prestigious award, which is added to Abu Dhabi's proud record of excellence.

"The world is reading from Sharjah"

Amidst a wave of postponements of major events, the Sharjah International Book Fair challenged the crisis and succeeded in organizing its 39th session, from the fourth to the 14th of last November, under the slogan: "The World Reads from Sharjah", attracting more than 1000 Arab and foreign publishers.

«In Arabic .. the tongue of the world»

Under the slogan “Arabic… the tongue of the world”, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation launched, for the eighth year in a row, the activities of the “Arabic” initiative, organized by the Foundation with the aim of promoting the culture of communication in the Arabic language through social networking sites, and urging people to use it in all Channels.

Pandemic containment solutions

With the emergence of the "Covid-19" pandemic, the authorities and institutions concerned with culture and the arts in the country rushed to find solutions to get out of isolation, create alternative means of communicating with society and play an active role in mitigating the effects of the pandemic on people, and this was helped by the infrastructure provided by the state. A modern technology that made digital transformation easy.

The National Program to Support Creators

The Ministry of Culture and Youth has launched a national program to support creative people working in the cultural and creative industries sector, in facing the challenges posed by the crisis, and aims to provide financial grants to independent individuals, emerging companies, and entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative industries sector to help them withstand and overcome the difficulties caused by the pandemic.

"421 Enterprise Support Fund"

To support creative people, Gallery 421, the arts and design destination in Abu Dhabi, which deals with innovative practices and works of art, launched, last May, the “Gallery 421 Fund to Support Projects”, to be part of the program that aims to mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic on creative production groups, and support Creative people with a diversity of specialties in the Emirates, the MENA region, and South Asia.

Initiatives of "Dubai Culture"

The Culture and Arts Authority in Dubai (Dubai Culture) has launched several initiatives, including the launch of the "Dubai Ideas Marathon" in April 2020, in cooperation with the "Art Dubai" group, with the aim of attracting ideas that would address the challenges facing the creative and cultural societies in light of the crisis. It also collaborated with the Art Jameel Research and Practices platform, to launch a small grants program for artists and creatives affected by the pandemic.

"Opportunity" from "Sharjah Art"

As part of its support to the artistic community in the UAE, the Sharjah Art Foundation, in cooperation with the Naqd platform, announced the launch of the Forsa School, an educational initiative that provides a professional program designed to provide independent artists with the practical skills necessary in the process of understanding the structural and institutional systems related to the art industry.

Virtual tours and exhibitions

Many cultural institutions and national museums in the various emirates of the country have organized virtual tours that allow the public to wander around and see the artistic and cultural treasures it contains without leaving the house, and has launched many art exhibitions, seminars and virtual conferences.

Remote digital events

The pandemic imposed the organization of major events in an innovative way in line with divergence measures, such as organizing the official celebration of the 49th National Day of the United Arab Emirates without an audience, in order to preserve public health, and organizing the exhibition "Abu Dhabi Art" for the first time in its history virtually, and the virtual exhibition of cognitive content for tolerance, which was organized by Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence, last August.

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