Dubai unveils a cultural icon along the creek
From Palestinian art to the region’s largest book fair, here’s what to see this week.
Welcome back to Al-Monitor Dubai.
Imagine a museum that floats and glistens like a pearl along the Dubai Creek. This is exactly the vision behind the new Dubai Museum of Modern Art announced last weekend by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai. Elsewhere, we survey the captivating photography exhibition of works by 12 photographers staged at the Ishara Foundation in Dubai; a solo exhibition by Palestinian artist Ruba Salameh; and a preview of the upcoming 44th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair.
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Happy reading,
Rebecca
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1. Leading the week: Sheikh Mohammed announces new Dubai Museum of Modern Art
A rendering of the new Dubai Museum of Modern Art on the Dubai Creek. (Courtesy of Dubai Media)
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, announced last weekend that Dubai is getting a new cultural landmark: the Dubai Museum of Modern Art (DUMA). Designed by renowned architect Tadao Ando, the museum will be situated in the Dubai Creek in a circular, five-story structure and feature a design inspired by the sea and the pearl — two iconic symbols of Dubai’s heritage and spirit. Its curved shell will enclose a circular exhibition hall. At the center, a cylindrical opening will allow natural light to emanate through the structure, evoking the shimmering quality of a pearl found in the Arabian Gulf.
The museum serves as a cultural statement to cement Dubai’s vision and status as a global capital for the creative economy. It also reflects the emirate’s developing cultural and artistic scene.
“Culture and art are the soul of a city and a lens through which its progress is seen,” said Sheikh Mohammed in a statement during the unveiling of the plans for DUMA. “They reflect its vision and the depth of its humanitarian mission. The Dubai Museum of Art will be a new beacon for the city, enhancing its arts scene and further strengthening its global status.”
The museum’s collection will showcase a diverse selection of modern and contemporary art as well as works by both emerging and established artists. The museum’s structure will include adaptable exhibition galleries, a restaurant and a VIP lounge. Outside of its exhibitions, DUMA will host artist talks, panel discussions, educational programs and art fairs.
The museum, developed by the Al-Futtaim Group, is part of the Dubai Culture and Art Authority’s broader initiatives to enhance public art throughout the city.
DUMA’s completion date is yet to be revealed.
Location: Dubai Creek
Find more information here.
2. Word on the street: Tattu
A view of Tattu in Ciel Dubai Marina. (Courtesy of Tattu)
Head up to level 74 of Ciel Dubai Marina to dine at one of Dubai’s newest and most popular restaurants: Tattu. This Japanese-Peruvian concept with a late-night bar, first opened in Manchester, UK, in 2015 and has since expanded to outposts in London, Birmingham, Leeds and Edinburgh. Enjoy a 360-degree air-conditioned terrace while savoring delicious dishes. After your meal, head to Tattu Sky Pool on Level 76, home to the world’s highest infinity pool at 310 meters (339 yards). Then visit Tattu Sky Lounge on Level 81, the world’s highest club. But now onto the food. Try the sugar salt crispy squid served with sweet chili sauce. Also order the seven-spiced seared tuna served with a yuzu-ponzu dip and caviar, among other tantalizing dishes.
Location: Ciel Dubai Marina, Level 74
Find more information here.
3. Dubai diary
Belal Khaled, Untitled (2023). From the series Hands Tell Stories (2023–24). (Image courtesy of the artist)
- Prix Pictet Storm at Ishara Art Foundation
The latest exhibition by Prix Pictet, the world’s leading award for photography and sustainability, is showing at Ishara Art Foundation in Dubai. Staged under the theme Storm, the exhibition reflects the volatility of present times, showcasing images that capture present day environmental collapse, economic hardship, instability and social unrest in various places across the world. The show presents works by 12 photographers shortlisted for the 11th cycle of the award, including Takashi Arai, Marina Caneve, Tom Fecht, Balazs Gardi, Roberto Huarcaya, Alfredo Jaar, Belal Khaled, Hannah Modigh, Baudouin Mouanda, Camille Seaman, Laetitia Vancon and Patrizia Zelano.
From a Gaza-based photographer’s agonizing image showcasing thirsty Gazans reaching for water bottles during the war to photographs by Congolese Baudouin Mouanda based on real events during floods in Brazzaville, Congo-Brazzaville, during the 2020 COVID lockdown, to images of the storming of the US capital on Jan. 6, 2021, by Balazs Gardi, the world today seems forever poised on the brink of the next crisis.
Dates: Until Dec. 13, 2025
Location: Ishara Art Foundation, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai
Find more information here.
- Refined compositions by Ruba Salameh
In this solo exhibition, Palestinian artist Ruba Salameh explores how one makes art during a genocide. While there is no easy or simple response to this question, Salameh’s poignant abstract canvases reveal how to keep creating even during moments of devastation and utter despair. The works on show seek to reflect on the persistence of certain symbols, such as the Palestinian flag or works by Palestinian artists, such Kamal Boullata’s uplifting and colorfully vibrant abstract paintings, particularly his “Homage to the Flag” (1995), whose legacy continues to echo and resonate through successive generations. Similar to her fellow Palestinian artists, Salameh looks at her art as a process of reclamation.
Dates: Until Nov. 9
Location: Zawyeh Gallery, Alserkal Avenue, Warehouse 27
Find more information here.
- Sharjah International Book Fair
One of the world’s largest book events and oldest book fairs in the Gulf, the 44th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair returns. The fair will once again gather publishers, authors, artists and readers from around the world under this year’s theme, Between You and a Book. This year’s edition is set to be the biggest yet with 2,350 publishers and exhibitors from 118 countries, over 1,200 events and activities, and more than 250 guests from 66 nations.
Dates: Nov. 5-16
Location: Expo Center Sharjah
Find more information here.
4. Book of the week: 'Children of the Seven Sands'
This book by Alexander McNabb, published earlier this year, surveys the story of one of the world’s youngest nations: the United Arab Emirates. Although the country was founded in 1971 after Britain announced its intention to withdraw from the Gulf in 1968, its history stretches back thousands of years, rooted in human civilization that thrived in one of the world’s harshest environments. The story of the nation is told in a single volume for the first time in this book.
5. View from Dubai
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, attends the unveiling of the Dubai Museum of Art (DUMA). (Courtesy of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum)
DUMA will mark one of Dubai’s first museums dedicated to modern and contemporary art, after the Jameel Arts Center located on the Bur Dubai bank of the Dubai Creek, which opened in 2018. The museum is slated to become an iconic architectural and cultural landmark for Dubai.
6. By the numbers
- Dubai’s race to attract more tourists, businesses and the ultra wealthy is set to fill up its hotels to over 80% this year, according to research provided by STR, a CoStar group company specializing in hospitality and commercial real estate data research, according to The National.
- The research noted that the emirate’s hotels are projected to record an 81% increase in occupancy rates this year.
- Additionally, the research noted that the average daily room rate at Dubai hotels is projected to rise 6.5% to 730 dirhams ($198.80).