‘Let us compete’: UAE officials embrace healthy rivalry between emirates in cultural sector

Senior officials say Abu Dhabi and Dubai’s cultural strategies reinforce each other, reflecting the UAE’s and shared heritage

Zayed National Museum is one of three new museums set to open in Abu Dhabi. Wam

Healthy competition between the emirates is strengthening the UAE’s cultural sector, senior officials said during a panel at the International Council of Museums (ICOM) General Conference, being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre until November 17.

Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed, chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, described the relationship between Abu Dhabi and Dubai as “a very complementary one”. Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of State, said “how we complement one another” is evident across events, institutions and the creative community. “If that’s what competition looks like, then we’re all winning – so let us compete,” she added.

The remarks came during a conversation on cultural diplomacy moderated by The National’s Editor-in-Chief Mina Al-Oraibi, where Sheikha Latifa said “whatever we do in Dubai, and any success we achieve in Dubai, Abu Dhabi automatically wins … any achievement Abu Dhabi has, Dubai automatically feels the ripple of that achievement”.

Inside Zayed National Museum and its gallery of the region's origins

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Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of State, emphasised the need for healthy competition between emirates in the cultural sector. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Sheikha Latifa added the relationship between the emirates is rooted in shared history. “People tend to forget that we are two emirates in one country and one nation,” she said. “Historically, we were literally one tribe … our roots are deeper than what you see.”

The UAE’s unity, she added, was built not only on political agreement but on “culture and heritage and shared history and tradition”.

Both Sheikha Latifa and Al Kaabi linked that heritage to the country’s approach to cultural diplomacy, saying the UAE’s multiculturalism has shaped its mindset. “We live in a society with nearly people from nearly 200 different nations and cultures,” Sheikha Latifa said, recalling older generations who spoke the languages of traders and newcomers “to the point where we almost took it for granted”.

Al Kaabi noted that the same outlook informs the UAE’s international cultural work. She highlighted the UAE-funded, seven-year restoration project in Mosul, where artisans of different faiths rebuilt one another’s religious monuments. “The restoration was just spectacular,” she said of the reopening ceremonies. “But it also proved, through the various cultural activities, that youth are the essence of Mosul.”

Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed, chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, spoke of the long history of fruitful collaboration between emirates. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The discussion also turned to the future of museums in the UAE, with both noting the scale of institutions now under development. Abu Dhabi is preparing to open three major museums on Saadiyat Island – the Zayed National Museum on December 3, the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi on November 22, and the long-anticipated Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, expected in 2026. Dubai, meanwhile, is developing the Dubai Museum of Art, a five-storey structure designed by Tadao Ando on Dubai Creek.

Against this backdrop, Sheikha Latifa said museums should reflect a world that is increasingly connected, yet seeking a renewed sense of cultural identity. She argued that global audiences are moving towards celebrating “local identity and cultural authenticity”, adding that the beauty of the world lies in “the differences of culture”. “For the past couple of decades, we have been connecting across borders through our similarities. Today, we should connect through our differences and celebrate them,” she added.

They also stressed the importance of involving people directly in cultural decision-making. Sheikha Latifa said that, while leadership sets the overall vision, strategies are built from the “bottom up” through workshops, town halls and direct engagement with creatives. “Laws and regulations are in place to serve people, not to hinder their work and their life,” she said.

As the session concluded, Al Kaabi encouraged delegates to “respect the journey” of cultural exchange, while Sheikha Latifa echoed a message delivered by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, that visitors should “never forget this experience” in the UAE.