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How Saadiyat Cultural District invites discovery and cultural exchange

How Saadiyat Cultural District invites discovery and cultural exchange

Emirates Woman21-05-2025
Saadiyat Cultural District is home to Louvre Abu Dhabi, Manarat Al Saadiyat, teamLab Phenomena and the future home of soon-to-open cultural destinations Zayed National Museum, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, and Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi that invite discovery and information exchange.
Saadiyat Cultural District Abu Dhabi versity of the UAE's multi-cultural eco-system with renowned institutions that support preserving the region's heritage while embracing a forward-looking vision. 'Saadiyat Cultural District invites people from the UAE, the region, and the world to experience the transformational, uniting power of art and culture, and how these pillars of human expression unite us all. Collectively, these museums are repositories for education, innovation, imagination, and possibility. Our goal is that the District's impact will be felt for generations to come,' shares His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT). Louvre Abu Dhabi
Opened in 2017, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is the first universal museum of the Arab world. Recognised for its breathtaking architecture, the museum continues its legacy in the region through stories of cultural connections across cultures through a line-up of well-curated exhibitions and performances in its programmes that create a unique space that brings the community together. Zayed National Museum Abu Dhabi
On track for completion this year, Zayed National Museum aims to celebrate the rich history, culture, and stories that highlight the narratives of its people from ancient times to modern day. Exploring over 300,000 years of history, landscapes, languages, and culture, it also tells the story of the UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, whose enduring example still guides the nation and its people today. Through its exhibitions, research and public programmes, Zayed National Museum explores the legacy and cornerstone values grounded in solidarity, tolerance, among others, that Sheikh Zayed embodied and their lasting influence on the country he founded. teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi
If you haven't heard of teamLab Phenomena yet, the multi-sensory experience by a Japanese art collective that creates other-worldly immersive digital experiences with next-generation storytelling has opened in the capital's cultural district. Officially launched on April 18, 2025, it comprises mesmerising interactive exhibits within the 17,000 square-meter space that play with light, sounds, shape, video, and movement. teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi resides at the intersection of art, theatre, technology, and theme park. Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi
The Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi aims to put a spotlight on the evolution of the universe through engaging site-specific installations and immersive displays that serve as educational resources. Not only does it aim to ignite the minds, but the museum is also thinking ahead with initiatives set in place before the opening to encourage women to pursue careers in the fields of science, archaeology, and conservation. 'We hope that through our programmes that highlight different characters and people from this region that we don't normally hear about, young girls and women will be encouraged to enter these fields. There is so much potential here and so many routes to go down, it is just a case of finding the area you are interested in and following that,' says Noora Abdulla Albalooshi, Assistant Curator at the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi. Guggenheim Abu Dhabi
Set to be completed in 2025, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will be the region's enigmatic destination for contemporary art, showcasing artworks from across the globe housed under a floor area of 80,000 square meters designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Frank Gehry. This collaboration between DCT and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation will comprise 28 galleries with an international collection of artworks commissioned for the exceptional spaces within the museum. Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will also serve as a thought-provoking forum for research and cultural dialogue amongst artists, scholars, curators, and other like-minded creative thinkers through a dynamic programme that explores the careers of individual artists and the histories of art movements. – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
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Abdulla Al Hamed explores avenues of cooperation with global media, entertainment leaders in Osaka
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Abdulla Al Hamed explores avenues of cooperation with global media, entertainment leaders in Osaka

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20 of the best restaurants for chilled out birthday celebrations in Dubai
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20 of the best restaurants for chilled out birthday celebrations in Dubai

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Ziad Rahbani, icon of Lebanese music and theatre, dies at 69
Ziad Rahbani, icon of Lebanese music and theatre, dies at 69

Middle East Eye

timea day ago

  • Middle East Eye

Ziad Rahbani, icon of Lebanese music and theatre, dies at 69

Ziad Rahbani, one of Lebanon's most influential cultural figures and the son of Arab music legend Fairuz, has died at the age of 69. A playwright, composer, and political commentator, Rahbani shaped the landscape of Lebanese theatre and music with his biting wit, leftist and secular politics, and sharp portrayals of his country's fractured society. "On Saturday at 9:00 am [6am GMT], the heart of the great artist and creator Ziad Rahbani stopped beating," said a statement from the Beirut hospital where the artist, who has long suffered from health problems, was being treated. The son of Fairuz, who turned 90 last year, and the late composer Assi Rahbani, Ziad first rose to prominence in the 1970s. He broke away from the romanticism of his parents' work to create art rooted in social critique and everyday struggles. Tributes poured in for the enfant terrible of Lebanese music, whose theatre productions and songs left an enduring mark on generations of Lebanese - many of whom know his lyrics and playscripts by heart. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Rahbani was a versatile composer and a pioneer of oriental jazz. He mixed traditional Arabic melodies with jazz, funk and classical influences, creating a unique and instantly recognisable sound. Rahbani composed for Fairuz in her later years, bringing political depth to her repertoire. Throughout Lebanon's civil war (1975-1990) and in the decades that followed, Rahbani's plays became spaces where Lebanese audiences confronted their harsh realities. He often highlighted the hardships of Lebanon's working class. His characters were disillusioned citizens, ex-revolutionaries or everyday people caught in the complexities of Lebanon's political and sectarian struggles. Lebanese diva Fairuz talks to her son, Ziad Rahbani, and Armenian conductor Karen Durgarian during rehearsals prior to their concert in Dubai on 23 January 2003 (AFP) One of his most influential plays, Nazl el-Sourour (Happiness Hotel), is a political satire set in a run-down hotel, where two laid-off workers take the guests hostage in a failed attempt at revolution. Through humour and absurdity, the play critiques class divisions and the hollowness of political slogans in pre-war Lebanon. Another one of his landmark works, the 1980 production Film Ameriki Tawil (A Long American Film), is a satirical portrayal of the civil war, set in an asylum where the patients represent different segments of society. Rahbani articulated a collective frustration and longing for change. For many in Lebanon and across the Arab world, his death marks the loss of a singular voice that never stopped asking uncomfortable questions.

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