The founder of the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation has been honoured by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth.
Hoda Al Khamis-Kanoo has been made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, one of the most prestigious awards that can be bestowed upon someone who is not a British citizen.
The OBE was presented to Mrs Al Khamis-Kanoo on Sunday by Dominic Jermey, the British ambassador to the UAE.
The honour acknowledges Mrs Al Khamis-Kanoo’s efforts to use the power of the arts as a conduit for deeper cultural ties between the nations.
“I congratulate Hoda Al Khamis-Kanoo with all my heart,” Mr Jermey said. “This is a great honour ... and reflects the enormous contribution to the deepening friendship between the UK and UAE, which Mrs Al Khamis-Kanoo has fostered in the field of culture and the arts.”
Since starting the foundation in 1996, strategic partnerships have been signed with the British Council, the Royal Opera House, the Edinburgh International Festival, the Manchester International Festival, and the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, enabling UAE audiences to appreciate an array of British performances.
“The shared history between the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates dates back centuries,” Mrs Al Khamis-Kanoo said in her acceptance speech. “From the time of the Silk Road, to the era of pearl fishing and, of course, the age of oil, history has shown that where there is commerce there is a more profound trade – the exchange of culture and ideas.
“Since the foundation of Admaf, we have aspired to nourish the cultural exchange between the UAE and the UK, as such dialogue allows our nations to breathe life into mutual cultural understanding, and thus deepen our ties beyond commerce.
“I would like to give my heartfelt thanks for bestowing upon me the Order of the British Empire. May we continue the exchange of culture and ideas for centuries to come.
“Together, we will seek to develop the competencies of Emiratis in the creative and cultural industries.”
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