Dhai Dubai returns, illuminating Emirati art
Also this week: light shows, Korean flavors and museum milestones.
Welcome back to Al-Monitor Dubai.
A week of mesmerizing light art spectacles makes its way back to Dubai with the second edition of Dhai Dubai, featuring an all-Emirati line-up of artists. Meanwhile, a historic moment unfolds in the city as ICOM (International Council of Museums) holds its General Conference in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region for the first time in its 79-year history. Under the theme “The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities,” the event reflects urgent global conversations about how museums can connect with people, respond to social shifts and stay relevant in the decades ahead. We also invite you to try a new Korean restaurant in the UAE capital and shed light on the upcoming Manar Abu Dhabi, the capital’s own light art festival kicking off this weekend.
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Happy reading,
Rebecca
P.S. Have feedback or tips on Dubai's culture scene? Send them my way at contactus@al-monitor.com.
1. Leading the week: Festival of Lights Dhai Dubai returns
Sisters of the Desert projection during Dhai Dubai Light Art Festival in 2024. (Courtesy of Expo City Dubai)
Dhai Dubai, the first-ever Emirati-led light art exhibition, has returned for its second edition, taking over Al Wasl Plaza again in Expo City Dubai. This year’s theme is “Light Influences Life,” exploring how light influences Emirati art and culture through captivating multisensory creative experiences.
The festival, a partnership between Expo City Dubai and Dubai Culture, aims to empower regional artists and position the emirate as a leading regional and global hub for art and culture.
Curated by Executive Creative Director of Entertainment and Experiences at Expo City Dubai Amna Abulhoul, alongside Anthony Bastic AM of AGB Creative, Dhai presents seven newly commissioned works by Emirati artists.
This year’s installations include works by Fatma Lootah, Mohammed Kazem, Khalid Al Banna, Alia Bin Omair, AlZaina Lootah, Ahmed AlAreef and Hessa Alghandi.
“The artists we have brought together for the second edition of Dhai Dubai are a radiant reflection of the UAE’s extraordinary spectrum of talent,” said Abulhoul in the opening press release. “This year, seven Emirati voices, each with their own language of light, come forward to share practices as diverse as the dreams of our nation. Their works reveal how light is not just illumination, but a heartbeat in our culture, shaping memory, inspiring connection and guiding imagination.”
The light artworks span three generations and reflect the medium of light’s cultural, emotional and spiritual resonance, creating moments for connection and inspiration long after the festival ends.
Dates: Until Nov. 18
Location: Al Wasl Plaza, Expo City, Dubai
Find more information here.
2. Word on the street: NURI Grill & Bar
Dishes at NURI Grill & Bar. (Courtesy of NURI)
If you’re looking for a new place to dine while in Abu Dhabi for this month’s cultural events, head to award-winning Korean NURI Grill & Bar on Yas Island. In both Arabic and Korean, the word “nuri” holds particular significance, translating to mean “light” in Arabic and “world” in Korean, thus referencing ideas of connectivity and enlightenment — both arguably crucial ingredients for a memorable meal out.
Korean culture greatly encourages the idea of community through communal sharing. Here, every meal starts with a banchan, small savory side dishes offering a variety of flavors including kimchi and fried prawn balls. Afterward, try the Korean barbecue on the tabletop grill. There’s also a tenderloin katsu sandwich, fried dumplings stuffed with delicious meat and cabbage, and a taco with beef tartare — all bursting with bold flavor.
Location: Hilton Abu Dhabi, Yas Island
Find more information here.
3. Dubai diary
Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell. “The Wish,” Abu Dhabi, UAE. 2025. Time-based media, comprising photography and 3D digital sculpting on a Ventana screen by Megapixel. (Courtesy of the artist and Leila Heller Gallery)
- ‘The Wild Within’ by Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell
Poignant images from around the Middle East, particularly the UAE, such as Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi or Al Madam Village in Sharjah, are being displayed at Leila Heller Gallery in Dubai by artist duo Ryan Koopmans and Alice Livijn Wexell. The series of digital artworks breathe new life into abandoned buildings from a distant past. These include old structures in Beirut, Istanbul and Abu Dhabi.
Two of the largest works on display — “Heartbeats” and "The Wish” — are being displayed on a Ventana screen — a microLED architectural display surface created by Megapixel — greatly enhancing their unique features and the image quality. The exhibition thus serves as an example of how art and technology can work together to create beautiful, captivating objects and images. Marking Megapixel’s foray into the Middle East market, the works demonstrate the growing connection between art, design and architecture.
“The Ventana digital canvas vividly reveals the subtle motion, shifting light, vibrant color and dramatic architecture depicted in the artwork, emphasizing the aesthetic qualities that we seek to express,” said Koopmans in the exhibition’s opening press release. “It becomes more than a display, almost an extension of the architecture itself, transforming the experience into something immersive, sensory and alive.”
Koopmans told Al-Monitor that he and Wexell traveled across the Middle East to photograph extraordinary contemporary and historical structures, preserving their architectural beauty and cultural significance.
Dates: Until Jan. 8, 2026
Location: Leila Heller Gallery, Dubai
Find more information here.
- ‘Manar Abu Dhabi’ returns for second edition
The public light art exhibition “Manar Abu Dhabi” returns to the UAE capital later this week, accompanied by a parallel program in Al Ain. This year’s edition features 23 artworks by 15 Emirati and international artists, along with artist collectives from 10 countries, exploring the Gulf’s historical and cultural connection to light under the theme “The Light Compass.”
The artworks include site-specific light sculptures, immersive installations, projections, and engaging programs of talks, workshops and performances.
The exhibition is curated by artistic director Khai Hori, alongside co-curators Alia Zaal Lootah and Munira Al Sayegh and assistant curator Mariam Alshehhi. It will take place across the more specific locations of Jubail Island, Souq Al Mina and Al Ain, with additional displays in the desert oases of Al Qattara and Al Jimi.
Dates: Until Jan. 4, 2026
Location: Abu Dhabi Corniche and other locations and Al Ain
Find more information here.
- ICOM Dubai, 27th General Conference of the International Council of Museums
This year, the 27th General Conference of the International Council of Museums (ICOM Dubai 2025) takes place for the first time in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai. This year’s conference explores the role of museums in a rapidly changing world. In a world of constant change, technological advances, wars, and the climate crisis, museums are becoming spaces to discover historical artifacts, foster cross-cultural exchange, and explore pressing global issues.
“This conference marks a milestone in Dubai’s cultural journey, reflecting its strong presence on the global map and its capacity to lead the international dialogue on the future of museums,” Hala Badri, director general of Dubai Culture and chairwoman of the ICOM Dubai 2025 organizing committee, said at a press conference on Tuesday. “The theme reflects upon our ever-evolving world and the transformations societies face. The event will bring together more than 4,500 participants, 400 speakers and 26 international committees. We will host over 100 sessions, workshops and training programs, alongside 47 cultural tours across the UAE, all aimed at shaping a new vision for the role of museums.”
Dates: Until Nov. 17
Location: Dubai World Trade Center
Find more information here.
4. Book of the week: 'Dubai - Behind an Urban Spectacle'
In this 15-year-old book, Yasser Elsheshtawy, adjunct professor of architecture at Columbia University in New York and nonresident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, explores Dubai’s history from its beginnings as a small fishing village to its place on the global stage today. Published by Routlege, the book dives into the city’s history, culture, fictional accounts and socioeconomic context to bring to life its urban development. Nearly two decades later, this book provides pivotal documentation into the rise of one of the city’s most spectacular modern developments that continues to grow and expand.
5. View from Dubai
Al 'Ayyalah Emirati Performance at the opening of ICOM Dubai 2025. Courtesy of Dubai Culture
ICOM, the world’s largest gathering of museum professionals, is taking place in the Middle East for the first time in its history. According to Hala Badri, director general of Dubai Culture and chairwoman of the ICOM Dubai 2025 organizing committee, the event takes place around three pillars: intangible heritage, new technologies and youth engagement — all which she said during the opening press conference are areas of concern for institutions across the world.
6. By the numbers
- ICOM Dubai 2025 is expected to welcome over 4,500 museum professionals and cultural experts from around the world.
- In 2021, ICOM-UAE, in collaboration with Dubai Culture, Dubai Municipality and Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, submitted a successful bid to host the ICOM General Conference 2025 in Dubai.
- ICOM represents over 60,000 members across 139 countries and territories and nearly 20,000 museums worldwide.