Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirates dedicated entity for culture, arts and heritage, hosted cultural activities on the AIDAstella cruise ship, which docked in port Rashid on 07 April, under the ‘Dubai Arts Around the World’ initiative to strengthen the Emirate’s cultural identity and promote cultural exchange among tourists visiting Dubai.

The activities schedule, which was held on board the cruise ship, included several UAE folk dance performances. Souvenir gifts were presented to the passengers, while a group of craftswomen created Henna designs. The activities also included displaying calligraphy artwork with the presence of the calligrapher Abdulkhaleq Ait Briza, and tourists were given the opportunity to take pictures in traditional Emirati dress.

The ‘Dubai Arts Around the World’ initiative aims to promote the UAE’s national identity, achieve Dubai Culture’s vision of positioning Dubai as a hub for cultural exchange and creativity both regionally and globally, and encourage the international promotion of arts, culture and heritage by hosting programmes and heritage activities on cruise ships.

Dubai Culture aims to enhance Dubai’s cultural scene and draw attention to the Emirate’s rich heritage with a variety of initiatives that take place throughout the year. The Authority’s mandate is to build bridges of constructive dialogue between different civilisations and cultures through enriching initiatives that benefit the Emirate’s citizens, residents and visitors.