In just a few decades, Dubai has transformed from a trading hub into one of the world’s most dynamic cultural and creative destinations. Museums, design districts, literary festivals, and grassroots initiatives are reshaping the city’s identity and drawing global attention. But what truly defines Dubai as a creative capital today — and how does it differ from places like New York, London, or Tokyo?

To explore these questions (and more), we spoke with Shaima Rashed Al Suwaidi, CEO of the Arts, Design & Literature Sector at Dubai Culture. In our conversation, we discussed Dubai’s ambition to become a global cultural hub, the rise of festivals like Sikka Art & Design, the support systems for artists and entrepreneurs, the future of literature and design, and what audiences can expect from cultural events in the years ahead.

— Shaima, you previously served for seven years as Director of Marketing & Corporate Communication at Dubai Culture. Now, as Chief Executive Officer of the Arts, Design & Literature Sector at the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, how has your scope of work changed? What are your main responsibilities now?

— The move has been a real shift for me. When I was Director of Marketing & Corporate Communication, most of my energy went into communicating Dubai Culture’s mission and building awareness of our work. Now, my focus is a lot broader. I’m directly involved in guiding the direction for arts, design, and literature, helping to shape the environment in which creativity can thrive.

My day-to-day looks different, too. I spend a lot more time engaging with the creative community, whether I’m collaborating with artists or supporting teams as they launch new initiatives. I’m much closer to the process, listening to what people need and working with them to create opportunities that matter.

One aspect of the job that means a great deal to me is advancing women’s roles in the field. It is incredibly rewarding to see more female leaders stepping forward, and I’m committed to making sure they have what they need to succeed. Seeing their impact grow is one of the most fulfilling parts of my role.

— Is there a goal to position Dubai as a cultural hub of the Middle East? What steps are being taken to achieve that today?

— Yes, positioning Dubai as a cultural hub is an explicit goal. Under the guidance of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Culture is steering policy, infrastructure, and programming to transform the emirate into a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent.

The city’s appeal is clear in the numbers. For several years running, Dubai has led global rankings for greenfield investment in the cultural and creative industries, showing that international companies and entrepreneurs see the emirate as fertile ground for new ideas. In fact, in 2024, Dubai welcomed 971 initiatives in this space, with total FDI capital inflows reaching AED 18.86 billion, resulting in the creation of 23,517 new jobs.

Dubai Culture oversees heritage sites such as the Al Shindagha Museum and the Etihad Museum, along with eleven public libraries, ensuring that history and lifelong learning remain integral to everyday life. Its annual calendar — anchored by Art Dubai, Sikka Art & Design Festival, the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, and Dubai Design Week — draws regional and global crowds while giving home-grown talent a prominent stage. Targeted initiatives like Talent Atelier then carry those emerging voices further, pairing them with mentors and opening doors to residencies and exhibitions abroad.

Looking beyond its borders, Dubai is stepping onto the world stage. The city’s presence at international gatherings — from Expo 2025 Osaka–Kansai to major biennales and design fairs — puts its artists and designers in direct conversation with their peers worldwide, underscoring the emirate’s emergence as a natural crossroads for cultural exchange.

At the same time, we have momentum coming from within the creative community. Al Quoz’s creative pulse started on its own, as artists quietly converted old warehouses into studios and galleries. When that grassroots energy took hold, Dubai Culture introduced the Creative Zone framework — streamlined licensing, subsidised workspaces, and mentorship, allowing those same artists to stay in the neighbourhood and build sustainable careers.

— What defines Dubai as a “creative capital” today? And in what ways does it differ from other creative cities like New York, London, or Tokyo?

— What sets Dubai apart as a creative capital is how quickly and boldly it has reinvented itself. Today, art fairs, design festivals, literary gatherings, and public installations are part of daily life, hard to imagine just a few decades ago.

A big part of this is Dubai’s openness. People from every corner of the world have come here, each bringing their own backgrounds and perspectives. That mix gives the city an edge and keeps its identity evolving, unconfined by a single tradition or style. Another defining feature is the way the public and private sectors collaborate to nurture talent and bring ambitious projects to life. Whether it’s supporting grassroots initiatives or championing large-scale festivals, there’s a real commitment to making space for new ideas and helping them succeed.

Unlike cities such as New York, London, or Tokyo, Dubai’s artistic landscape is being shaped in real time by residents, some of whom have grown up here and others who have just arrived. There’s an energy that comes from building something together — a sense that anyone who wants to contribute can find their place and make their mark.

— Today’s audiences expect more personal and immersive experiences. What do you think cultural events should look like in 2025 to truly connect with people?

— Audiences in Dubai increasingly look for cultural programmes that draw them into the action rather than leave them on the sidelines. For us, that means opening the door to hands-on sessions, interactive installations, and forums where visitors can join in on the conversation. With events like Sikka’s 14th edition and Dubai Design Week, as well as initiatives such as Talent Atelier, we are seeing more opportunities for the community to get involved and shape what’s to come.

Digital tools — augmented reality, immersive sound, real-time translation — have expanded what organisers can offer, and platforms such as Art Dubai Digital show how those technologies can enrich a visitor’s journey. Yet, new media can never carry an event alone, because the real magic still comes from the human story. Our job is to try to find that balance.

Overall, when considering the future of the industry, our priority is to maintain an open and inclusive approach. We want to ensure that people from diverse backgrounds feel welcome and contribute their voices to our cultural mix. By paying attention to what visitors care about and responding to their feedback, we can create events that are truly meaningful and relevant.

— Sikka Art and Design Festival is one of the most vibrant cultural festivals in the region. How would you describe its uniqueness and role in Dubai’s cultural ecosystem?

— Sikka stands apart because of where and how it happens. Each spring, Al Shindagha’s historic district, with its wind towers and narrow alleyways, is transformed into open studios and galleries. Choosing to showcase work here means something. It lets visitors experience contemporary art in the very spaces that shaped Dubai’s trading roots and coastal way of life.

What can be found inside those coral-stoned homes is just as distinctive. One room might hold an installation that reimagines Bedouin weaving, while the next hosts a sound-design workshop or a pop-up kitchen pairing local ingredients with international techniques. Last year’s edition brought together more than 250 artists from across the Emirates and the Gulf, showing how many ways there are to tell a regional story.

Sikka’s purpose reaches beyond the art on display. Interactive workshops, late-night performances, and panel discussions invite residents, tourists, and the artists themselves to trade ideas in real time. That spirit of exchange is exactly what Dubai Culture hopes to nurture as it positions the city as a global centre for creativity. By giving emerging talent a high-profile platform and drawing audiences who might never have visited a gallery before, the festival strengthens the city’s creative industries and supports the wider push toward a diversified, knowledge-based economy.

— We saw Sikka this year — it was amazing! What is next? What new directions, formats, or focus areas are you planning to introduce in future editions of the festival?

— We are always looking for ways to keep Sikka fresh without losing the spirit that makes it special. While it’s too early to reveal specific projects, I can share that we have just released the open call for the festival’s fourteenth edition. The invitation reaches out to artists, designers, filmmakers, performance collectives, workshop leaders, culinary creatives, and retail entrepreneurs from across the Emirates and the wider Gulf. The brief is simple: bring original ideas that speak to Al Shindagha’s historic setting while looking ahead to Dubai’s future, use environmentally conscious materials, and offer work that has not been shown elsewhere.

— How does Dubai currently support artists, designers, and creative entrepreneurs, both locally and internationally?

— Dubai backs its creative community on several fronts, starting with dedicated districts where ideas can take root. Dubai Design District was planned from the ground up as a creative free zone, while Al Quoz grew more informally as artists converted warehouses into studios and galleries. Today, the Creative Zone initiative builds on that grassroots energy, offering streamlined licensing, subsidised workspaces, and other business support. This physical infrastructure works hand-in-hand with policy. The Dubai Creative Economy Strategy — aimed at doubling the sector’s GDP share by 2025 — channels resources into training, research, and market access.

Funding is another pillar. Through programmes such as the decade-long Dubai Cultural Grant, more than AED 180 million is being channelled into everything from visual art and music to museum practice. Recipients gain not only financial backing but also mentoring and production support, ensuring that promising ideas reach completion.

The city also commissions public works that turn streets and waterfronts into open-air galleries, giving practitioners visible platforms at home. When it comes to international reach, Dubai Culture helps artists cross borders. Recent projects have taken local designers to Maison & Objet in Paris, filmmakers to Venice, and multidisciplinary teams to Osaka ahead of Expo 2025. Finally, flagship events such as Dubai Design Week, Sikka Art & Design Festival, and Art Dubai draw audiences from around the world, connecting home-grown talent with buyers, curators, and collaborators far beyond the region.

— You are also responsible for the Literature sector. How would you describe its current state? How do you plan to develop it further?

— Dubai’s literary landscape is livelier and more varied than at any point in the city’s history. Local readers are leaning into home-grown narratives, proud to see Emirati and Gulf voices not only in the shops here but also translated for audiences abroad.

Two anchors keep the scene in balance. First is the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, which has grown into a regional meeting point for authors, translators, and publishers from around the world. The programme pairs big names with emerging talent, sparking conversations that echo far beyond the main stage. The second is Reading Month, when public libraries, schools, and community centres run city-wide activities that turn reading into a shared habit rather than a solitary pursuit.

Looking ahead, we are shaping a comprehensive Literature Strategy that will address everything from publishing and translation to poetry and literary tourism. New mentorships and targeted grants will give aspiring authors time, guidance, and — crucially — places to share early drafts. Partnerships with universities and cultural groups will integrate these efforts into a cohesive ecosystem, enabling talent to transition smoothly from workshop to publication to international showcase.

Finally, Dubai has secured the bid to host the International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA) in 2026. That event will open fresh ground for writers interested in interactive and multimedia storytelling, ensuring literature keeps pace with the wider creative industries and continues to speak to new generations of readers.

— Are there any initiatives aimed at amplifying the voices of Emirati and regional writers on a global scale?

— Several programmes already help Emirati and Gulf writers reach readers well beyond the region. One example is Authors from the UAE, created by the UAE Media Council with ELF Publishing. The scheme underwrites travel to major book fairs, so local authors can meet publishers, agents, and translators face-to-face, laying the groundwork for foreign-language editions of their work.

The Emirates Literature Foundation adds another layer of support. Its Kateb Maktub project works with Wikipedia editors to expand the number and quality of entries on Arab writers, giving them a stronger digital footprint in both Arabic and English. At the same time, the annual Emirates LitFest Writing Prize and the Seddiqi Writers’ Fellowship pair emerging voices with professional mentors, guiding manuscripts from their initial drafts to publication and helping new authors navigate the international rights market.

Dubai Culture, as a strategic partner to the Foundation, complements these efforts by opening festival stages and museum spaces to local storytellers and by linking them to translation grants and overseas residencies.

— Regarding the Design sector, could you please share with us a strategy for its development? What kinds of events, platforms, or opportunities are you planning to introduce or expand?

— Dubai’s design scene has reached a pivotal moment. UNESCO’s designation of the city as the MENA region’s first Creative City of Design confirms both the sector’s ambition and the momentum behind it. Our task now is to turn that recognition into an everyday opportunity, ensuring designers have the space, resources, and networks they need to experiment and grow.

Dubai Design Week has secured the city’s place on the global calendar, and future editions will open more doors for students and early-career creatives through showcases and hands-on workshops. A key example is Abwab, the event’s platform for designers from South-West Asia and North Africa. The 2025 open call invites practitioners to reimagine ornament and heritage in new ways.

Beyond the flagship week, a rolling schedule of pop-up exhibitions, open-studio nights, and innovation labs will keep fresh work in front of the public year-round. Taken together, these measures create a landscape where creative minds can test ideas quickly, learn from peers worldwide, and anchor their careers here in Dubai, helping the city grow not just as a showcase for design but as a place where design itself is made.