Dubai turns to art and culture to lure more tourists
Dubai will make a play for tourists interested in arts and culture with the creation of a new committee to review and drive the destination’s strategy in those areas.
The “Higher Advisory Committee” will sit within the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and will be headed by Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the vice chairman of the Emirates Literature Foundation.
Dubai Culture chairman, Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, commended the body’s progress in “promoting and preserving” the city’s heritage with the launch of a number of key initiatives.
“Through the formation of the Higher Advisory Committee, we are drawing on the collective expertise of veterans to play an integral role in spearheading the growth of the city’s cultural scene,” he said.
“The Committee will work to support the Dubai Tourism Vision 2020 announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum by focusing on the cultural aspects of the city, and thereby catering to tourists interested in arts and culture.”
A Modern Art Museum & Opera House District to be located in Downtown Dubai is currently under development and is expected to enrich the city’s art scene when it opens.
Neighbouring Abu Dhabi also recently sought to reposition itself as a hub for arts and culture with three new major cultural attractions currently under construction. The Louvre will open in 2015, the Sheikh Zayed Museum in 2016 and the Guggenheim in 2017.
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