Trevor Noah to speak at Culture Summit Abu Dhabi

'The Daily Show' host will take part as a guest speaker in the three-day event at Manarat Al Saadiyat

The South African comic is a familiar face in the UAE, having performed stand-up or been a guest at events in the country. Bloomberg

Trevor Noah has been announced as a guest speaker at the opening day of this year’s Culture Summit Abu Dhabi, to take place at Manarat Al Saadiyat from May 16 to 18.

While the precise topic of The Daily Show host's speech remains unclear, it will revolve around the central theme of the summit's opening day, which explores the impact of the pandemic on the cultural world and the resulting need to build a more resilient and dynamic sector.

The South African comic is a familiar face in the UAE, having performed stand-up or been a guest at events in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. He was most recently seen hosting last month's Grammy Awards, but is perhaps best known for his political commentary segments on The Daily Show.

This year’s Culture Summit, a three-day event running from Monday to Wednesday, will follow the theme A Living Culture.

The event, organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, brings together thought leaders and experts in the arts, heritage, museums, media and technology for a series of panel sessions and discussions surrounding culture's role in a post-Covid-19 world.

The summit has not yet revealed its full line-up, but already-announced guests making their way to Abu Dhabi include Malawi's first female president Joyce Banda. She will take part in the opening panel session on the role culture plays in building resilient societies.

Also appearing at the summit are Noura Al Kaabi, the UAE's Minister of Culture and Youth, and DCT Abu Dhabi chairman Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak.

Polish artist Agnieszka Kurant, whose installations were exhibited in prestigious venues such as New York's Solomon R Guggenheim Museum and last year's Venice Biennale 12th International Architecture Exhibition, will also be present, joining Grammy Award-winning Panamanian pianist and educator Danilo Perez, who will lead a discussion on cultural diversity and music education.

Some of the topics to be discussed include the growth of digital content during the pandemic, and how cultural and creative industries can play an increasingly powerful role in championing and fostering inclusion in a globalised world.