Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has been appointed as the chair of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture). She takes over from Abdul Rahman Al Owais.
Sheikha Latifa was previously vice-chair of Dubai Culture, and has worked at the authority since it was first set up in 2008. In those 11 years, she has been a visible patron for the many events and institutions it supports, which include the Sikka Art Fair, Art Dubai, Middle East Film and Comic Con, Downtown Design, Dubai’s heritage sites and the Dubai Museum.
“Everything I do within the Culture & Arts Authority is geared towards supporting the industry,” she said in a CNN interview in December last year.
“It’s geared towards taking our creatives towards a global stage where they can be recognised internationally, to make Dubai a global centre in every field.”
Sheikha Latifa is credited with helping to bring disparate events together under the auspices of Dubai Culture. The authority offers various layers of commitment — from running events, such as the Sikka Art Fair, to offering funding and governmental support, such as for Art Dubai and Downtown Design, aiding the creativity that already exists on the ground.
Sheikha Latifa is also the vice chair of the Emirates Literature Foundation and Honorary Chairman of the Zayed University Alumni Association Board, having graduated from the university with graduate and post-graduate degrees in business and marketing.
She is the daughter of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and ruler of Dubai, and is married to Sheikh Faisal Saud bin Khalid Al Qassimi from the ruling family of Ras Al Khaimah.