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UAE Moments
a day ago
- Entertainment
- UAE Moments
Abu Dhabi's Zayed National Museum to Open in December
Abu Dhabi is getting ready to welcome one of its biggest cultural landmarks yet. The long-awaited Zayed National Museum will finally open to the public in December 2025, right in the heart of the Saadiyat Cultural District. Join our FREE WhatsApp channel to dive into a world of real-time engagement! This stunning new museum is dedicated to celebrating the legacy of the Founding Father of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and his lifelong commitment to education, culture, and unity. What Can Visitors Expect? The museum will feature six permanent galleries spread across two floors, taking visitors on a journey through 300,000 years of human history. There will also be a temporary exhibition gallery, showcasing special collections and international loans. The artefacts include rare finds from across the UAE, like items from the Bronze and Iron Ages, archaeological treasures, and pieces donated to highlight Emirati heritage. Some must-see highlights include: The Abu Dhabi Pearl – one of the world's oldest natural pearls The Blue Qur'an – one of the finest manuscripts in Islamic art A recreated Magan Boat – built as part of the museum's first research project with Zayed University and NYU Abu Dhabi More Than Just a Museum The Zayed National Museum isn't just a place to see historical artefacts. It will offer immersive exhibitions, community programmes, and research opportunities, all to keep Sheikh Zayed's vision alive. From workshops for kids and seniors to inclusive experiences for People of Determination, the museum promises to be a space for everyone. A World-Class Design Designed by world-renowned architect Lord Norman Foster, the museum is an architectural marvel. Its five steel towers are inspired by falcon wings in flight, symbolising an important part of Emirati culture, falconry. The design also prioritises sustainability, reflecting the UAE's commitment to building a better future. A Cultural Powerhouse in Saadiyat Once open, the Zayed National Museum will join Louvre Abu Dhabi, teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, and the future Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, making the Saadiyat Cultural District a global hub for art, history, and innovation. The wait is almost over, December 2025 will mark the start of a new chapter in Abu Dhabi's cultural journey. Whether you're a history buff, an art lover, or simply curious about the UAE's story, this museum will be a must-visit spot on your list!
Al Etihad
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Etihad
Abu Dhabi: The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award names winning project of 13th edition
11 July 2025 13:34 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)Under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), in partnership with Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF), has announced the winning project for The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award winner of the thirteenth edition of The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award is Hannan Arshad, under the mentorship of Assistant Professor at the College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) at the American University of Sharjah (AUS), Christianna Bonin. Hannan is a UAE-based Indian artist and graphic designer, who explores storytelling through materials, fabrication, and historical research. Focused on political dialogue and cultural memory, her work includes installation, print and digital media, film, and interest in Mughal history and materiality began during visits to the Raza Library in Rampur and the Bada Imambara in Lucknow. It later developed into Safekeeping Stories during her senior studio with Assistant Professor Amparo Baquerizas Carreras, at AUS. The project has since expanded to encompass larger sculptural and architectural references, reimagining the past as something tactile, participatory, and work preserving Mughal architectural and cultural knowledge. The artist recreates traditional Lakhori bricks, alongside nearly-forgotten brick and mortar Mughal techniques, that incorporate edible materials. Each brick is etched with the artist's own interpretation of Mughal miniature paintings, which transforms a historical building block into a medium for visual and written archiving. The bricks are arranged to resemble a library, inviting viewers to engage with history by physically removing each book from the by the urgent need to protect cultural heritage from political and environmental threats, the project highlights the contemporary relevance of historic building practices. The artist plans to expand the installation and collaborate with communities in the UAE and beyond, using art to spark conversations around memory, identity, and Excellency Huda Al Khamis-Kanoo, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) and Abu Dhabi Festival, said: 'Under the generous patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, and through ADMAF's partnership with NYU Abu Dhabi, The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award continues to celebrate the artist's legacy by honouring winners in the creative industries, supporting innovation in the fields of fine arts, sculpture and public art.'We congratulate Hannan Arshad, the winner of the Award, now in its thirteenth year, under the supervision of Assistant Professor Christianna Bonin from the College of Architecture, Art and Design at the American University of Sharjah. We commend her focus through her winning work, Safekeeping Stories, on documenting the rich history of human civilisations, and her dedication to studying and preserving endangered cultural and architectural knowledge, and attempting to revive it through environmentally and nature-friendly building practices.'The continuation of civilisation and the renaissance of humanity are based on our appreciation of our cultural memory and heritage, and our celebration of its tangible and intangible masterpieces, from sculpture and architecture to customs, traditions, and values. By preserving them throughout history, we inspire generations, express our close connection to the past and our hopeful outlook on the future.'Executive Director of The NYUAD Art Gallery and the University's Chief Curator Maya Allison said: Safekeeping Stories exemplifies the power of art to bridge memory, place, and material tradition. At the NYUAD Art Gallery, we are committed to nurturing emerging artists through mentorship and resources that help bring ambitious ideas to life. This installation is a poignant response to cultural loss, and a compelling example of how historical narratives can be reimagined through contemporary public art.'The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award Director Emily Doherty said: 'We couldn't be more delighted to welcome Hannan Arshad as winner of The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award 2025. There was strong competition among the shortlisted proposals; every year, the standard of applications is increasingly elevated. But ultimately, the Selection Committee was captivated by her beautiful and thoughtful work. Hannan now enters the production part of her artistic journey with the full support of the professional curatorial, technical, and logistics teams at the NYUAD Art Gallery, along with her nominated mentor, Dr Christianna Bonin at AUS. We are looking forward to unveiling Safekeeping Stories at the entrance to Abu Dhabi Art in November this year.'This year's selection committee convened in Abu Dhabi to select a winner. On the panel were HE Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo; Maya Allison, Executive Director of The NYUAD Art Gallery and Chief Curator; Dyala Nusseibeh, Director of Abu Dhabi Art; Azza Al Qubaisi, Emirati Jewelry Artist, Product Designer and Sculptor; Awam Amkpa, Dean of Arts and Humanities and Professor of Drama, Social and Cultural Analysis at NYUAD; and guest juror Nadine Maalouf, Vice Chairwoman of Design Council Abu Dhabi and Advisory Committee Member of the NYUAD Art Gallery. Running annually since 2013 under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, presented by NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), in partnership with Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, and produced in collaboration with the NYUAD Art Gallery, The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award serves as a launch pad for artists across the Emirates. It encourages new artwork and offers winners insight into professional life as an artist, from commission to exhibition.
Time Out Abu Dhabi
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out Abu Dhabi
Want to get artsy this summer? 421 Arts Campus has creative workshops, exhibitions and more
Looking for writing or artsy workshops in Abu Dhabi? This summer, 421 Arts Campus is inviting you to do what you love the most and find your community. It is hosting 15 creative workshops and community sessions for all ages from Tuesday June 29 to Friday September 19. Back on the calendar are the most in-demand workshops. This year's Jamming Session features Kazakh Manti cooking session with a family from Kazakhstan, the Beks. You'll join Aaliya, Jullz and their mum, Leilya, for an afternoon of storytelling and dumpling-folding. Uncover the secrets of these delicate Central Asian parcels, both the traditional meat version and a vegetarian option. Pencil In is another crowd favourite. It's a gathering of writers who come together to write alone. Whether you're working in Arabic or English, you'll find space to create, share and get thoughtful feedback from experts in the room. There's also a powerful return of Stitch-In for Palestine, a moving embroidery workshop that teaches the ancient craft of tatreez. Learn to cross-stitch traditional motifs as you explore the cultural weight of each pattern and its story. The best part is that it's perfect for beginners and experts alike. For little ones and tweens, there's plenty on offer too. Messy Play, the Khayal Series and other Youth Workshops are designed to keep younger minds and hands busy while encouraging curiosity. Perfect for when the heat kicks in and you need a meaningful indoor activity. New to the line-up this year is Poetry in Pairs, a workshop designed for two. Whether you're showing up with a friend, a sibling or a significant other, this gentle poetry lab helps you explore your relationship through playful language, shared prompts and creative expression. And if you're feeling artsy, there are two exhibitions continuing into the season. Available until Sunday September 7, Ana Escobar Saavedra: It Starts Where It Ends is a solo exhibition that explores how personal memory shapes identity, while Unstable Grounds brings together works by MFA graduates from NYU Abu Dhabi, reflecting on memory as a lens for understanding today's world. Workshops and sessions are individually priced and open to all. Ready to spend time doing what you love with like-minded people? Register now. To learn more, visit
The National
09-07-2025
- Business
- The National
The UAE's history shows it has always dealt with global economic headwinds
For Robert Allen, a move to Abu Dhabi allowed him to connect the dots in his own history to the evolution of the Arab Gulf economy. The visiting global distinguished professor of economic history at NYU Abu Dhabi recently outlined some of the major themes that have shaped the local economy for centuries. Speaking to The Economic History Podcast last week, Prof Allen made the point that export-oriented growth has always been the focus of the major phases of development: date cultivation, pearl fishing and oil extraction. In other words, while the local economy has been shaped by its natural environment since the 17th century, it has always been linked to a market elsewhere. The professor is one of the most distinguished in the field of economic history. A loss for Nuffield College at the University of Oxford – when he had to accept mandatory retirement a decade ago – proved to be a gain for NYUAD. Podcasts have assumed a central role in the media landscape by becoming the go-to source for current affairs and political interviews. The superb Economic History Podcast is a personal favourite, and Prof Allen's appearance was an enlightening examination of his work since moving to the Gulf. He pointed out that his family had ties to Salem, Massachusetts, which was the port that the date trade used to access the US markets. Culturally, the town celebrated the first arrival of date shipments. There was even a race to get the first shipment to the US after the building of the Suez Canal compressed the journey time to North America in the 1800s. 'When you look at dates, the prices shoot up, they double when the Suez Canal is opened,' Prof Allen told the podcast. 'So there always had been an export trade of dates from Oman and Arabia to the US, and also I think to Western Europe, but it was fairly limited and they were very expensive. One thing that is important is that Salem, Massachusetts was an important American port for this.' Date syrup or 'dibs' became a big part of the American economy – so much so that the US Department of Agriculture sent a team of agents to Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula to bring back date plants. Once the date palms were cultivated in California, the trade suffered a grievous blow in the Gulf. In parallel, the pearl industry was also hit hard by a development in Japan. The invention of cultured pearls resulted in a dramatic drop in price and the wind-down of the industry. One element of transformation that is likely to come to the fore is the data economy, for which the UAE is particularly geared up What the date and the pearl industries had in common was the unleashing of natural resources, the sea and the underground aquifers to generate exports that went around the world. Prof Allen notes that many of the large oil deposits in the region overlap with the aquifers, too, and now generate revenue from the ground. Historical junctures are not new to the Gulf, which is poised to undergo another transformation as US President Donald Trump 's economic vision is set to reshape global trade. Mr Trump's tariff policies are due to move to the next phase within days. At the weekend, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hinted that new trade deals could be announced soon, with a range of tariffs likely to be imposed on exports to America from August 1. He indicated there was progress with the EU, although he added that the 100 small countries with little or no trade with the US would get new tariff letters within days. Where the policy eventually ends up remains highly uncertain, but it seems inevitable that the global supply chain – of which the Gulf countries are something of a buckle in the belt – will be substantially different by the end of Mr Trump's second term. One element of transformation that is likely to come to the fore is the data economy, for which the UAE is particularly geared up. Not only is the country the first to appoint a cabinet minister for AI, but its infrastructure advantages are beginning to tell. The demise of former US president Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, as a result of the recent passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, will have a substantial impact on the data industry's evolution. There is an opportunity for countries like the UAE – which can produce limitless and cheap energy – to provide the capacity for processing that this industry needs. Once again, the Arabian Peninsula's natural environment has an opportunity to shape the development of a new era. The outcome of the growth of processing power is the generation of new revenue streams, the unleashing of local talent and the creation of a firm base for the region in the global economic landscape. Future-proofing is a historical feature of the UAE and Gulf economies. This is why Prof Allen's insights into the three big industries that made the Emirates prosperous and globally interconnected could hardly be timelier.
The National
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
In a new play, Dubai Metro becomes stage for Filipino migrant stories
What does it mean to belong to a city that may never belong to you? To live in a place built on transience, where presence feels conditional and time always borrowed? How do you hold on to identity when your life is shaped by visa renewals, shift work, and long-distance calls home? These are the questions posed – not always answered – by Metro Diaries, a resonant piece of devised theatre staged by 63Kolektib, a Filipino community theatre group based in Dubai. The play had its debut in June at NYU Abu Dhabi, where every show sold out – a sign that audiences may be hungry for stories rooted in the UAE's lived social reality, rather than imported spectacle. More performances are planned. Told through a series of vignettes set figuratively aboard the Dubai Metro, the production offers a poetic portrait of the migrant condition: constant motion, silent observation and a city rushing past before you've had the chance to claim it. There is no central plot – instead, Metro Diaries unfolds through monologues and movement sequences. We meet a man fighting anxious thoughts while commuting to his nine-to-five, residents shifting from one overcrowded apartment to another, and a stream of characters whose lives pass in and out of view like stations on a line. The minimal alley-style set invites immersion, but it's the intimacy of the material that resonates. Part of what gives Metro Diaries its urgency is its authorship – a play about migrants, written and performed by migrants. The script doesn't feel observed; it feels lived. There's an ease in the code-switching between English and Tagalog, in the cultural references left unexplained, in the subtle gestures that speak volumes to those who recognise them. The second half of the play carries some of its most affecting moments. In one sequence, a dancer moves through a voice-over narrating the arc of a Filipino migrant's journey – from leaving home, to job hunts and visa runs, to carving out space within the UAE's fast-paced demands. Later, three women deliver overlapping monologues that reveal the quiet emotional tolls of survival: housing insecurity, tight budgets, and the pressure to appear strong for family back home. At times, the rawness of the performances tilts into melodrama, and certain lines articulate their themes a little too explicitly. These are minor stumbles – common in devised community work – and reflect the weight of lived experience pushing up against theatrical form. With tighter pacing and polish in future stagings, the show could reach an even deeper impact without losing its authenticity. While the production is grounded in the Filipino experience, its themes will resonate widely. The sense of impermanence – of building a life between legal frameworks and personal aspirations – is shared by many who live and work in the UAE. That's what makes Metro Diaries feel important beyond its two-day run. While large-scale international productions dominate the local theatre scene, this production proves there is both talent and appetite for home-grown stories. Its success suggests that audiences are ready – perhaps overdue – for theatre that speaks to life as it's lived here. The hope now is that more doors open, more lights stay on, and more stories – quiet, complex and true – find their way into the national conversation and on to the stage.
