Leading the way for culture

In a polarised global climate, what role can culture play in creating an atmosphere of tolerance and understanding?

Culture operates at a level that formal exchange rarely reaches. When someone stands in front of a work of art, regardless of the background, faith or history of its creator, it has the ability to speak directly to the heart and the emotions.

That form of connection carries its own power and its own logic. Abu Dhabi’s position, whether geographically, historically, or as a place where trade, encounter and exchange have always defined daily life, gives us a particular vantage point on this. We have our own perspective and our own story – and we tell it with conviction.

We have also always understood that being open to others is an expression of confidence in who we are. When millions of visitors from around the world engage with our cultural sites, they encounter one another as they experience this place. What emerges from these encounters over time reshapes how people understand the world and each other’s place within it.

What cultural experience in your life has been the biggest on your work?

My earliest memory that speaks directly to this is visiting the Cultural Foundation as a child. My mother would take me to the library there, and my aunt worked there, so I spent hours in that building, roaming through it, watching practitioners at work, sitting in the theatre and letting my imagination go.

That was my introduction to it all: my love for music, for art, for performance. One of my first responsibilities at Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi was the restoration of that same building. That connection, between a childhood memory and a professional mandate, has stayed with me.

Abu Dhabi has evolved into a global cultural destination while remaining rooted in Emirati identity. How do you navigate that balance between international influence and cultural authenticity?

I would challenge the idea that there is a tension to navigate. The premise assumes that global engagement pulls you away from who you are. Our experience has been the opposite. Our work with the world’s most significant cultural institutions and our cooperation with artists and thinkers from across the globe have not diluted Emirati identity. If anything, they have reinforced global awareness of it. When you place an emphasis on cultural exchange, you foster understanding of your own heritage.

What metrics do you use to quantify the success of Abu Dhabi’s cultural vision?

We measure what can be measured: visitor numbers, economic contribution, the growth of the creative sector and levels of community participation. Those indicators matter and we take them seriously. But the metrics that matter most are qualitative and longer term: whether Emirati artists are building sustainable careers, whether young people are developing a meaningful relationship with their heritage, whether our talents are building their capacity, and whether Abu Dhabi is seen globally as a source of cultural ideas. At the heart of this is quality of life. Culture remains a fundamental building block of a well-rounded individual and our role is to ensure that access to it is universal. That principle of universal access to cultural life is as important to me as any metric.

Discover more dct.gov.ae

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