Dubai Culture welcomes visitors to historic districts

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Dubai Culture and Arts Authority welcomed visitors to the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood following a temporary suspension due to the circumstances imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Authority seeks to restore cultural emphasis while adhering to preventive measures to ensure a strong start for the sector following the gradual return of the tourism sector in the emirate.

This step also constitutes an opportunity for people within the emirate and from across the world to engage with Dubai’s rich history and cultural attractions.

This decision aligns with the pillars of the Authority’s strategic roadmap and comes as part of Dubai Culture’s efforts to enable cultural participation everywhere and for everyone as well as to encourage all segments of the UAE society to participate in the cultural movement that the Authority is leading.

The buildings of the district are currently used in incubating a number of varied cultural and artistic activities.

Dubai Culture also seeks to grant people access to the ancient history of Dubai, as well as to its rich heritage, and to drive the advancement of the emirate’s creative scene to establish Dubai as a global centre for art and culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent.

On this occasion, Nasser Juma Bin Sulaiman, manager of the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, said: “Dubai Culture is progressing upon the plans it had put in place to ensure the recovery of the cultural and creative sector in the emirate as well as its continuous prosperity following the challenging phase that the pandemic imposed.

Opening the door for tourist delegations to visit the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood again is part of these plans that were implemented based on mechanisms that emphasise the health and safety of employees, community members and visitors. We are committed to undertaking all necessary preventive measures to protect everyone and preserve the public health.”

Dubai opens the door for tourist delegations to visit the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.

Bin Sulaiman added: “Over the past few months, we invested in innovative advanced technologies and interactive platforms that provided a unique cultural experience for community members who interacted with the cultural and creative sector while committing to staying in their homes.  Now, with the gradual return of cultural life to the forefront, we have taken this step to grant our audience the pleasure of interacting closely with culture, art, history and heritage in a manner that contributes to enhancing the attraction of tourists and increases the number of visitors to Dubai.” Bin Sulaiman Noted that the Authority is keen on establishing partnerships with private entities to support the cultural movement in the emirate and restore its splendour like never before.

Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.

The traditional style of life that was prevalent in Dubai from the mid-19th century till the 1970s is reflected at Al-Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, where buildings with high air towers (Barajeel), built with traditional building materials such as stone, gypsum, teak, sandal wood, fronds and palm wood are aligned side by side, separated by alleys, pathways and public squares, which give the district a natural and beautiful diversity.

This district, owing to its strategic location at Dubai Creek (Khor Dubai), played an important role in managing Dubai and organising its commercial relations overseas. Moreover, it is still the district adjacent to His Highness Monarch of Dubai's divan.

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The buildings of the district are currently used in incubating a number of varied cultural and artistic activities (both public and private) ranging from art exhibits, specialised museums, cultural and artistic societies, ateliers to cultural centres (such as Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Center for Cultural Understanding).

The district also hosts a number of seasonal cultural and artistic events such as Sikka Art Fair, Artists-in-Residence Programme, Heritage Week, National Day Events and religious celebrations. Beautiful and cozy cafés, restaurants and motels overflowing with heritage are scattered all over the district.