When Christie’s unveiled Marwan: A Soul in Exile – a 150-work retrospective of Syrian artist Marwan Kassab Bachi (commonly known only by his first name) – at its London headquarters last July, the hospitality partner, Jumeirah, was perhaps unexpected.
The luxury hotel brand, best known for Dubai’s sail-shaped, seven-star Jumeirah Burj Al Arab, had positioned itself at the centre of the UK’s Arab art scene.
Guests of the British capital’s Jumeirah Carlton Tower could book the Collector’s Stay, combining guided exhibition tours with culinary journeys inspired by Marwan’s cultural heritage. Art and hospitality merged into a single, coherent experience.
“This partnership marks a key milestone in Jumeirah’s expanding cultural strategy,” said Arnaud Morand, Jumeirah’s global art adviser.
It was one milestone among many. In 2025, Jumeirah executed a strategic pivot that repositioned the brand as a serious player in global arts and culture, a transformation rooted in something far older than corporate strategy.
The majlis principle
“Our name itself is derived from the word ‘jumr’, meaning burning embers,” explains Michael Grieve, chief brand officer at Jumeirah.
“A reference to the campfires that once guided travellers through the desert trade routes of the Arabian Peninsula. These fires served as beacons of warmth and safety, where the nomadic Bedouin would welcome weary merchants and explorers, and offer them shelter, sustenance and, most importantly, a space to converse and exchange knowledge and ideas,” he adds.
Those ancient gatherings had a name: the majlis, a social practice now recognised on Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. More than a physical space, the majlis represented a philosophy of hospitality where strangers became guests, conversation flowed freely and ideas crossed borders.
“When Jumeirah was established as a brand, we sought to translate this timeless spirit of connection and generosity into a modern hospitality experience,” says Grieve.
From that moment in 1999, when Jumeirah changed the face of luxury hospitality with the opening of Burj Al Arab, to now, when it has properties across the Middle East, Europe and Asia, the group frames each property as a majlis, a gathering place for global culture, connection and conversation.
Cultural awakening
Last April’s Art Dubai proved fruitful for Jumeirah’s artistic endeavours. Across its Madinat Jumeirah properties, the brand unveiled the inaugural Jumeirah Art Journey, 16 works by artists including Mona Hatoum, Zeinab Al Hashemi, Azza Al Qubaisi and Ali Chaaban, curated by Morand in collaboration with Leila Heller Gallery. The exhibition transformed hotel corridors and public spaces into gallery experiences. Guests encountered art organically, between the lobby and the pool, the restaurant and the spa.
That same week, Jumeirah hosted the Dubai launch of +971: 50 Emirati Creatives Shaping the UAE, a Rizzoli publication edited by Myrna Ayad that spotlights local talent across architecture, visual arts, design, film, music and literature. The event was a celebration of the creative ecosystem Jumeirah now looks to champion.
Summer brought the Christie’s collaboration. Then, in September, Jumeirah Capri Palace launched its inaugural Contemporary Art Prize in partnership with the Festival del Paesaggio Anacapri. Two winning artists received residencies at the hotel, cash prizes and permanent placement in the property’s collection, distinguishing Jumeirah as not only a sponsor, but also a patron.
By November, Jumeirah had become the official hospitality partner for Nomad’s Abu Dhabi debut, the design fair’s first Middle Eastern event. International collectors, curators and designers gathered at Jumeirah Saadiyat Island, positioning the brand at the intersection of art, design and regional cultural ambition.
Guest experiences
What separates Jumeirah’s approach from conventional sponsorship is integration. Culture isn’t an add-on; it’s embedded in the guest experience.
At Jumeirah Capri Palace, Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola recently reimagined the MarioRita Suites, named after the visionary couple whose 1950s boutique once occupied the site. Embodying her approach, which she once called “emotional modernism”, Urquiola worked with local artisans on ceramics, fabrics and bespoke mirrors, creating spaces that translate Capri’s light and landscape into contemporary form.
In Dubai, Emirati artist Mattar Bin Lahej has woven Arabic calligraphy and sculpture into Jumeirah Al Naseem’s architecture. Meanwhile, Saudi-British poet Maryam Ghouth wrote The Keepers of This Land exclusively for Jumeirah, with verses that explore how “generosity resides not only in what we offer in the moment, but what endures after we are no longer present”.
Ghanaian-Dutch director Emmanuel Adjei, known for collaborations with Beyonce and Madonna, also created Jumeirah’s recent campaign film. “I really see hospitality as a complete language,” Adjei reflected during production. “It’s not just about service; it’s about belonging.”
This cultural ethos also extends to culinary experiences, from the shared meze in the Middle East to pastries infused with local ingredients, used as vehicles for storytelling. “Food has always been the best way to connect cultures,” says Tom Coll, Burj Al Arab’s executive pastry chef. “It is a way to understand each other without speaking the same language.”
Mission 2030 and beyond
Jumeirah’s cultural ambitions are part of its Mission 2030, a strategy to double the brand’s portfolio through international expansion. New properties will carry the arts-forward ethos from inception. These include Jumeirah The Red Sea in Saudi Arabia, which is set along pristine coastlines and coral reefs, promising what Grieve calls “barefoot luxury”, as well as Jumeirah Le Richemond in Geneva, currently undergoing a full renovation.
Each destination, says Grieve, is “thoughtfully designed, blending curated artwork, cultural context and conscious consideration for the surrounding community, offering guests the feeling of a life well led”.
The brand’s renewed focus favours intimate properties – with up to 150 keys – and emphasis on suites, villas and branded residences. After all, smaller-scale properties enable deeper cultural integration. A bit like the majlis.
“The majlis represents more than just a physical space,” explains Grieve. “It embodies a forum for community engagement, cultural exchange and the forging of lifelong bonds.”
Today, every Jumeirah property represents a contemporary majlis, he continues. “From the art-rich Jumeirah Capri Palace to the superyacht-inspired landmark that is Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab in Dubai.
“Today, we continue to embody that same spirit of warmth, generosity and joy that defined those ancient desert gatherings, creating spaces where cultures converge, ideas flourish and stories are shared,” he says.
For Jumeirah, luxury hospitality’s future lies not in thread counts or amenity lists, but in cultural substance. It is as the ancient Bedouin proverb holds: “When a guest comes, he is a prince. When he leaves, he is a poet.”
This content was created by TN Magazine in partnership with Jumeirah
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