At a time of conflict across the region, residents are standing by the UAE, with cultural institutions playing an important role in building and sustaining a sense of community.
Speaking at the Hong Kong International Cultural Summit, Manal Ataya, adviser to Sharjah Museums Authority, said the mistaken idea of the UAE as a place people simply pass through does not reflect the reality of many who have built their lives here.
“I think everyone is aware of what is happening in the region right now,” she said. “So many people have asked me: 'Are people leaving? Who’s going home?' And I say: 'We are not going home.'
“Everyone has built a home in the UAE, and so many are staying in the country, believing in our leadership and that we will overcome this, and that we will continue to build our lives and our homes.”
Her comments echo a wider sentiment expressed in recent weeks, with artists and cultural figures in the UAE describing the conflict as a moment that has strengthened the country’s sense of community.
That communal bond has also been shaped over decades by the country’s cultural institutions. Ataya argued that museums play a particular role when they are embedded in daily life and remain responsive to the communities around them.
“We have to respond to the rhythm of the community,” she said. “We don’t need to have people come to the museum. We just have to remain close to people.”
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The cultural calendar in the region is also shifting in response to the current moment. Art Dubai has moved its 2026 fair from April to May 14 to 17 in an adapted format at Madinat Jumeirah, organisers said. Middle East Film and Comic Con is now listed for September 11 to 13 in Abu Dhabi, while Offlimits Festival is set to take place in November with Shakira still due to headline.
But while some major events are finding new dates on the schedule, museums and galleries across the country remain open, with many strong exhibitions worth seeking out.
At Sara Naim’s latest solo exhibition at The Third Line in Dubai, the London-based artist of Syrian origin explores the relationship between language and image, exposing the fragile structures that shape how we understand the world.
From the Perspective of Language, on view until April 7, is Naim's fourth solo exhibition at the gallery and her first public presentation of paintings. Produced intermittently between 2023 and 2026, the works move between figuration and abstraction as they examine boundaries, symbolism and the limits of representation.
“I believe we are born into a framework for understanding the self and the world,” Naim says. “My practice invites us to deconstruct those paradigms.”
Events may shift and calendars may change, but the institutions that remain part of daily life continue to offer the shared spaces through which community is built, expressed and sustained.
Cillian Murphy breaks down the ending of Peaky Blinders
How does it all end for Tommy Shelby? Millions of fans have been waiting for that answer since Peaky Blinders made its debut in 2013. Netflix's new film Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man finally provides it – and it is as Shakespearean as expected.
It is hard to imagine this ending with Tommy Shelby riding off into the sunset. Across six seasons, his journey was always marked by tragedy. He builds an empire, but he is often the one responsible for the damage it causes. People close to him are killed. Others are left dealing with the consequences of his decisions.
He is aware of how much rests on his shoulders. The series presents him as full of self-loathing, often ready to give up, but each time finding a reason to continue. That reason is usually his family.
When Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man begins, Tommy is no longer engaging with the outside world. He is living in isolation, writing his memoirs and trying to grapple with his past.
As much as this ending matters to fans, it carries just as much weight for the man who plays him – Cillian Murphy, for whom the role has become a defining part of his career.
Murphy tells The National: “It’s very rare to age alongside a character. Normally, you do a film or a play and then move on. With this, I’ve played him from when I was a younger man until now, and that’s a huge benefit. It runs deep.”
But how does it end? We have that explained in Murphy's words here.
Palestinian artist creates central work for Oslo government quarter rebuilt after 2011 attacks
“My inspiration was spolia and the principle of reuse,” says Palestinian artist Jumana Manna of the new 800-square-metre floor, titled Sebastia, which she has created for the main square in Oslo’s soon-to-reopen government quarter.
Spolia, derived from the Latin word for spoils, refers to the reuse of materials or architectural fragments from earlier structures in new buildings.
“The use of spolia was common in Ottoman and Islamic architecture,” Manna says. “In Jerusalem, where I come from, the Old City is filled with beautifully repurposed architectural structures – pavements and stones from different eras.”
The renovated government quarter in Oslo will reopen this April, almost 15 years after a far-right extremist planted a car bomb at the site. Later that same day, he opened fire on a Workers’ Youth League summer camp on a nearby island.
Seventy-seven people were killed and many more were injured. In the years since, the government quarter – which sustained considerable damage – has been rebuilt by the Nordic Office of Architecture, with public art playing a central role in its renewal.
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Dates for your diary
Art Dubai at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai – May 14 to 17
Middle East Film and Comic Con at Adnec Centre Abu Dhabi – September 11 to 13
Offlimits Festival at Etihad Park, Abu Dhabi – November 21
Other highlights
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