UAE artists to shine at first Dubai Youth Music Festival

The event will be held at the Mohammed bin Rashid Library on November 24 and will feature performances and an awards ceremony

The Mohammed bin Rashid Library in Al Jaddaf, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Young musicians have been invited to take part in the inaugural Dubai Youth Music Festival.

To be held on November 24 at the Mohammed bin Rashid Library, the event will feature performances of original works composed by Emirati and UAE residents.

The event is being organised by Dubai Culture and musicians aged 15 to 35 are invited to register their interest online from Monday until November 19.

There are categories ranging from oud, violin and orchestra to piano and singing.

Applicants are required to upload their proposed musical works of five to 10 minutes long, as well as their personal identification details, a CV, a career bio and summary of their composition.

As part of the ceremony, awards will be given for categories such as best singing, best Arabic playing, best classical playing and best integrated orchestra.

Awards will also be given to musicians who are people of determination.

A pioneering musical artist will be honoured during the ceremony for their celebrated career, with the name of the recipient to announced soon.

Saeed Mubarak bin Kharbash, Chief Executive of Arts and Literature at Dubai Culture, hopes the event will become a major part of the Dubai music calendar.

“The Dubai Youth Music Festival is considered a tribute to the artistic and musical sector in Dubai,” he said.

“This is the first edition of the festival and we will work to ensure its continuity and achieve the authority's strategic objectives in discovering young talent in these various musical fields.”

More information is available on dubaiculture.gov.ae

Dubai's Mohammed bin Rashid Library — in pictures

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  The Mohammed bin Rashid Library in Al Jaddaf, Dubai. All photos Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  The library is home to more than one million physical and digital books.

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  There are lots of toys and play areas for children and people of determination.

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  The library's foyer is spacious and inviting.

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  There are lots of comfortable spaces to read, study and work.

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  There is also an indoor amphitheatre.

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  Conference rooms are available for hire, too.

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  There is a large collection of scientific and research books from the Arab world and beyond.

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  A 1662 first edition 'Atlas Maior' by Joannes Willem Blaeu is on display at the Treasures of the Library exhibition.

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  The exhibition features work dating back to the 13th century.

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  Library board director Jamal Al Shehhi inspects some of the books in stock.

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  Library technician Terry uses robots to retrieve books from the store room and send them, via monorail, to various sections of the library.

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  The library's language garden features 60 quotes, printed in different languages, attributed to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.

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  Three-year-old Evan reads a book in the library.

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  The library's exterior resembles an open book.