Culture Summit Abu Dhabi has kicked off its first in-person event in three years, with a series of speeches celebrating the act of coming together to find ways in which culture can solve our shared challenges.
Opening the summit, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi, said: “The UAE has always been a place of bringing people together. For thousands of years, it's been a bridge between East and West.
“It's been a place where cultures have come together; it's been a place where we have learnt to understand each other, learnt to talk to each other, learnt to appreciate each other and more importantly, learnt to respect each other.”
The Culture Summit, now in its fifth year, has a programme with an exciting selection of speakers, talks and topics. Organised by DCT — Abu Dhabi, it is a forum for sharing information, debates and policy development, bringing together leaders in culture, heritage, public policy, technology, artists, thinkers and performers from around the world to explore and identify ways culture can transform societies and communities across the globe.
The theme of this year's Culture Summit is A Living Culture, and speakers include comedian, writer, political commentator and host Trevor Noah; internationally renowned architect Frank Gehry; diplomat and author Omar Saif Ghobash; record producer, songwriter, movie producer and current chief executive of The Recording Academy Harvey Mason Jr; and the world's first ultra-realistic artist robot Ai-Da.
“I can imagine one hundred years ago, Bedouins in the desert, under the stars, sharing poetry, talking to each other, putting an emphasis on a new level of understanding and a new level of coming together," Al Mubarak continued in his opening remarks. "This is what we are here for today. We are coming together to continuously solve for solutions.
“These solutions are going to make us better together in the future. The pandemic has come and it's almost gone.”
However, when pandemics or recessions happen again, says Al Mubarak, regardless of what happens, it's people coming together that is going to safeguard culture and maintain it as an integral part of society and community.
Although the world was “devastated” to see cultural institutions, programmes and performing arts take a step back, “in a single moment, something very special happened”.
“What was special? We all took a step forward together. We said ‘enough is enough' — we need to bond with each other and find solutions.”
During the pandemic, Al Mubarak says he spent "endless" nights speaking with people from different cultural practices all across the world. "What was happening in Brazil affected us here, what was happening in India affected us in New York, or affected us in Europe, or anywhere around the world. And we took that opportunity and ran with it.
“We spoke to each other. We talked about how we can open up all together, we talked about how we make sure these cultural institutions, that heartbeat, continued to beat. Sitting here, I'm reminded of these times. Because we all understood that together, anything is possible.”
He said conferences such as the Culture Summit Abu Dhabi should not be taken for granted, as they are opportunities to continuously learn from one another. “This is my university. This is my educational centre … Every moment I'm going to learn something about your culture, you're going to learn something about mine."
Whether discussing situations we face collectively, or alone, Al Mubarak said: “I can assure you, nobody will leave these doors facing any situation alone. Not any more. We're going to do it together.
“Culture is what we are, not just what we do. To me, what that means is that it's in our heart.
“And the fact that we're all here together today, it's a reminder of how strong we can be together. It's a reminder that every voice has to be heard, regardless of where you are in this world.
“We're going to be jointly linked because of our emphasis and our love for culture. We all understand that culture should be in the heart of every component of life. For without it, we just fade away into darkness.”
Al Mubarak's speech was followed by an address by Tim Marlow, director of the Design Museum in London. “Can I say what a generous thing it is actually, to have a Culture Summit that enables us all to come together, and how generous spirited we need to be together over the next few days," Marlow said.
While last year’s event was online-only, Marlow explained that this year’s iteration would be attended by 1,000 people “in the flesh”, and a further 5,000 virtually.
“We're here to affirm the importance of culture and to explore ways in which it can transform societies and communities worldwide.
“But … we don't think culture is a medicine, it's not there to be dispensed from on high, although its health benefits are numerous.” Instead, he said it was a “dynamic, fluid, inspiring aspect” of all of our lives. “And it brings us together. It affirms our sense of self.”
Although during the pandemic several creative and cultural institutions were seriously threatened or even lost, there was also “a seismic shift in cultural production and dissemination”, he said.
“It's this shift in our relationship to culture, which makes it more fluid, more of a living dynamic part of our daily lives. That is the broad framework for the Culture Summit — A Living Culture.
“This is both an opportunity and something that we have to be careful with. Cultural ecosystems are fragile. We need to find ways of making [them] more resilient in the future.”
Opening Premier League fixtures, August 14
- Brentford v Arsenal
- Burnley v Brighton
- Chelsea v Crystal Palace
- Everton v Southampton
- Leicester City v Wolves
- Manchester United v Leeds United
- Newcastle United v West Ham United
- Norwich City v Liverpool
- Tottenham v Manchester City
- Watford v Aston Villa
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
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- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
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