About Us

1971 - Design Space is a multi-functional design space dedicated to the display and discussion of all forms of contemporary design ranging from graphic, furniture to interior, interactive design, and new technologies. 

With a variety of curated exhibitions and public programmes, 1971- Design Space aims to become a regional and international design hub in the UAE working in close proximity with local designers, architects, schools, and universities. 

1971- Design Space also serves as an informal meeting point and includes a fully serviced cafe for the enjoyment of the public.

421 Arts Campus is an independent platform for emerging artists and creative practitioners in the UAE and across the region. A site for research, learning and experimentation, 421 provides a nurturing environment for emergent creative practices and those who want to harness the arts as an agent for social inquiry and transformation. 421 encourages practitioners to explore the potential of public spaces as a means for progress and community engagement through a wide-ranging programmatic model that facilitates artistic exchange and critical dialogue.

Located in Abu Dhabi’s Mina Zayed, 421 presents a year-round programme of exhibitions, talks, workshops, special events and educational initiatives that offer accessible learning opportunities to the wider community and the general public. Many of the 421 programmes are organised in collaboration with local, regional, and international partners, engaging children, students, educators, and creative professionals in a participatory approach to artistic and creative practice. These programmes are designed to develop artistic and creative skills, supporting the growth of the UAE’s creative ecosystem. 

Previously known as Warehouse421, 421 was established in 2015 inside a renovated warehouse that was repurposed as an exhibition and community space featuring galleries, studios, courtyards, co-working spaces, a library and cafe, and a public, outdoor plaza that serves as a multipurpose venue for film screenings, symposia, performances, art installations, and other special programmes. The 421 campus is also home to a number of permanent art installations commissioned for major exhibitions that were previously presented inside the 421 galleries. 

Abu Dhabi Art expands beyond the notion of a traditional art fair, in placing strong emphasis on a diverse public engagement programme, including art installations, exhibitions, talks and events that take place in different locations throughout the year. 

The culmination of this year-long programme is the Abu Dhabi Art event in November, which provides an important sales platform for participating galleries, whilst also offering these galleries an opportunity to showcase installations and site-specific works by their artists to an audience of over 20,000 visitors.

Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF) was established in 1996 as one of the earliest cultural foundations in the Gulf region and Arab world.

ADMAF supports the sustainability and creativity of the cultural industry and contributes to enriching Abu Dhabi as a cultural beacon by offering a wide array of initiatives, often in partnership with leading national and international institutions, including Abu Dhabi Festival and several youth and societal programmes and platforms, to support creative talents in the UAE and abroad.

Alserkal is a socially responsible and forward-thinking cultural enterprise dedicated to developing sustainable models for homegrown initiatives with a commitment to nurturing alternative ideas and impactful research with regional relevance. 

Founded in 2007 by Emirati businessman and patron Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal, Alserkal is renowned for its ground-breaking artistic productions, experimental approach and for the creation of culturally meaningful spaces that inspire and shape communities. 

Alserkal has three primary areas of activity: cultivating a creative economy in Dubai and building a collaborative network of civic-cultural institutions through its renowned cultural district, Alserkal Avenue; providing advisory services to public and private sector entities through Alserkal Advisory; and, supporting public artist commissions, residencies, research grants and educational programmes through its non-profit, Alserkal Arts Foundation.

Alserkal has transformed the cultural landscape of Dubai and the UAE through the creation of a thriving, region-specific community of over 70 contemporary art galleries, visual and performing arts organisations, designers and entrepreneur-led businesses at Alserkal Avenue, providing an essential platform for the development of creative industries in the region.

Alserkal utilises its collective expertise in arts initiatives and cultural production, heritage creation, community building and engagement, as well as urbanism and planning for creative industries, to guide public and private sector entities in developing sustainable and responsive business models.

The School of Architecture, Art & Design at the American University of Dubai (AUD) offers a collection of fully accredited Bachelor's degrees in the fields of Architecture, Interior Design and Visual Communication taught by a world-class faculty with extensive experience. 

Throughout the programmes students experience a studio-based curriculum combining art and design theory, construction technology, digital media and the human sciences.

The Department of Art and Design in the College of Architecture, Art and Design at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) offers three first class programmes in visual communication, multimedia design and design management which prepare students to contribute to the public discourse on design and take part in shaping the rapidly growing discipline. 

Students become creative leaders, unlocking new worlds of potential through mastery of design thinking, innovation, communication design and digital technologies.

Art Jameel supports artists and creative communities. Founded and supported by the Jameel family philanthropies, the independent organisation is headquartered in Saudi Arabia and the UAE and works globally. Art Jameel’s programmes – across exhibitions, commissions, research, learning and community-building – are grounded in a dynamic understanding of the arts as fundamental to life and accessible to all. 

Art Jameel’s two institutions – Hayy Jameel, a dedicated complex for the arts and creativity in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Jameel Arts Centre, an innovative contemporary institution in Dubai, UAE – are complemented by digital initiatives plus collaborations with major institutional partners and a network of practitioners across the world. 

Art Jameel’s model is collaborative: major institutional partners include Delfina Foundation, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Locally, the organisation works with individuals and organisations to develop innovative programming that embraces both ancient and new technologies, and encourages entrepreneurship and the development of cultural networks.

Bayt AlMamzar was a domestic space since 1983. Continuing this history, Gaith and Khalid Abdulla revived their family home to welcome a wider audience connected through arts and culture. 

Bayt AlMamzar now houses art studios, exhibitions, residencies, public programmes, and a specialised library. Meant as an evolving space that answers the needs of the UAE's contemporary arts and creative community, it invites experimentation and strongly encourages multidisciplinary collaboration.

Opened in 1981 under the directives of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Cultural Foundation was the United Arab Emirates’ first multi-purpose community centre, a public institution with a mandate to foster and nurture cultural consciousness for all citizens of the recently unified UAE. 

Placed next to the historic Qasr al Hosn, this building fundamentally represented a new outlook on the role of culture in the modern UAE, with the introduction of the first national library, a theatre, and a multi-purpose exhibition hall. 

Between 2009 and 2018, Cultural Foundation underwent extensive conservation measures including repairs, rehabilitation, and some adaptive reuse. Its much-anticipated reopening took place in December 2018. 

Cultural Foundation, part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, presents a cutting-edge visual arts programme of exhibitions, workshops, and events. It also showcases a world-class, contemporary, and home-grown performing arts programme in its newly renovated 900-seat theatre. It has transformed its library to become the Abu Dhabi Children’s Library. The state-of-the-art facility presents innovative hands-on learning programmes for children and families. 

Dirwaza Curatorial Lab is an Abu Dhabi-based creative incubator and project partner founded by Munira Al Sayegh. As a creative incubator, Dirwaza builds communities in the Gulf through non-profit mentorship for multidisciplinary research, archive building, critique, and artistic programming. 

As a project partner, Dirwaza advises institutions, decision-makers, collectors, and businesses. It specialises in cultural projects, manages collections, designs exhibitions, and proposes bespoke arts-driven programmes. 

The organisation works with a growing network of artists, arts professionals, and institutions to participate in a dynamic environment with homegrown ideas. 

Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), under the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is committed to enriching Dubai’s cultural scene based on the UAE’s heritage and is building bridges of constructive dialogue between various cultures to enhance Dubai’s position as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent.

Dubai Culture is keen on reviving and preserving the emirate's historical heritage and developing the regulatory frameworks for the cultural and creative sector in line with its strategic roadmap 2020 – 2025.

The Authority also seeks to empower the enablers that support talent and stimulate active public participation by investing in the various assets under its remit, including the management of five heritage sites, five museums, Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children, 17 archaeological sites and nine Dubai Public Library branches, all of which help contribute to creating an economic system that invigorates the cultural and creative industries. The Authority also offers 8 services and 26 sub-services.

The Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI) is a private, non-profit university, located at Dubai Design District (d3), accredited by the Ministry of Education in the UAE. With its first intake in 2018, DIDI is focused on nurturing, mentoring and creating the next generation of designers. 

The curriculum is designed to empower students to map out their own four-year educational journey, culminating in the region’s first Integrated Bachelor of Design degree, with a choice of concentration in the areas of Product Design, Multimedia Design, Fashion Design and Strategic Design Management.

The Emirates Literature Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation which supports and nurtures a love of literature in the United Arab Emirates and the region, through a programme of varied cultural initiatives.

Established in 2013 by Royal Decree issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Foundation aims to foster a love for literature, with a focus on the Arabic language. 

In line with the National Reading Policy of the UAE, the Foundation has implemented several long-term projects including the First Chapter, the School Librarian of the Year Award, Kateb Maktub, and From the Inside Out, as well as conducting year-round student education programmes, book clubs and mentorship programmes. 

The Foundation’s previous initiatives included the 2024 Reading for Pleasure conference, the 2020 International Literary Festivals Conference, the 2017 Dubai International Publishing Conference, and the 2016 Dubai Translation Conference. The Foundation is also the governing body of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, the UAE’s premier literary festival. 

Fujifilm Holdings Corporation, trading as Fujifilm, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, operating in the areas of photography, optics, office and medical electronics, biotechnology, and chemicals.

It aims to provide valuable products and services, and help to enhance the quality of life of people, as well as progress for society.

Since developing the world’s first fully-digital camera in 1988, Fujjifilm  has made contributions to the advance of digital imaging. It currently provides mirrorless digital cameras characterised by high image quality through proprietary colour reproduction technologies in the X Series. In the field of Imaging, it gives form to a wide range of memories and events through film and photographs, and contributes to enriching lives and fostering stronger human connections.

A museum for the now, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi aspires to connect cultures and inspire people by celebrating art from the 1960s to the present. 

With a mission to expand perspectives around art, the museum presents an international collection focused on West Asia and the wider region. Rooted in the UAE and built for the world, the museum is a public forum for cultural exchange, inspiring a more connected global community through art. 

Gulf Photo Plus is a community organisation and the region’s leading photography centre.

It cultivates visual practices through year-round workshops, art programmes, exhibitions, community events, and state-of-the art printing services and specialised resources.

ICD Brookfield Place, a lifestyle and business destination, is a joint venture between Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), the principal investment arm of the Government of Dubai, and Brookfield Asset Management. 

ICA Brookfield Place Arts draws upon arts and culture as a foundational pillar for Brookfield Properties globally. A gateway for discovery and support for local and regional talent, it offers visibility to emerging artists and more established creative practitioners through an array of year-round programming - from exhibitions and installations to live music sessions and workshops.

ICD Brookfield Place Arts is at the heart of a new model that champions placemaking to enrich the community of Dubai, ICD Brookfield Place tenants and global partners.  A vibrant and open space, it seeks to engage and welcome everyone, inside and outside their walls, with the belief that having arts and culture in daily life positively impacts wellbeing.

A creative melting pot of Italian heritage, UAE traditions and international influences, Istituto Marangoni Dubai aims to become the leading private Higher Education Institution for Fashion and Design in Dubai.

Strategically located in one of the city’s most vibrant lifestyle and cutting-edge districts – the Dubai International Financial Centre – the school blends an innovative learning experience with Italian expertise to enhance local talent and shape the future of the UAE fashion, design and creative industry. 

Partnering with local professionals and industry players has made Istituto Marangoni Dubai a powerful source of inspiration and a nerve centre for prestigious career options. While supporting students’ personal and professional growth, the school will also teach them to deal with the complex challenges of today’s fashion, art and design industries. 

A bridge between cultures, the school aims to promote local development and cultural diversity while empowering women and inspiring next-gen talent to explore new and global business opportunities. Being part of a unique network of international schools, the school offers exciting study abroad opportunities for students eager to experience the luxury European environment.

Ivy Advisory was founded by Jolaine Frizzell in 2024 and specialises in navigating the evolving art ecosystem in the UAE and the Gulf region. 

Its mission encompasses developing opportunities for artists within institutions, crafting professional practice programmes and offering consultancy services informed by extensive experience in art galleries and the broader ecosystem. At the heart of its ethos is crafting dynamic pathways for artists, collectors, and institutions alike while nurturing a thriving market for collectors. Its primary goal is to expand career opportunities for artists while facilitating a deeper understanding of the art ecosystem for both artists and clients. 

By providing valuable insights and fostering professional connections, it aims to enhance business practices within the art community and pave the way for future collaborations. While their initiatives have an international outlook, they remain firmly rooted in the UAE, striving to redefine artists' engagement within the contemporary art landscape. 

Louvre Abu Dhabi was created by an exceptional agreement between the governments of Abu Dhabi and France, was designed by Jean Nouvel and opened on Saadiyat Island in November 2017. The museum is inspired by traditional Islamic architecture and its monumental dome creates a rain of light effect and a unique social space that brings people together. 

Louvre Abu Dhabi celebrates the universal creativity of mankind and invites audiences to see humanity in a new light. Through its innovative curatorial approach, the museum focuses on building understanding across cultures: through stories of human creativity that transcend civilisations, geographies, and times. 

The museum’s growing collection is unparalleled in the region and spans thousands of years of human history, including prehistoric tools, artefacts, religious texts, iconic paintings, and contemporary artworks. The permanent collection is supplemented by rotating loans from 13 French partner institutions, regional and international museums. 

Louvre Abu Dhabi is a ground for new ideas in a globalised world and champions new generations of cultural leaders. Its international exhibitions, programming and Children’s Museum are inclusive platforms that connect communities and offer enjoyment for all. 

Madar_39 (M_39//) is a thriving ecosystem of creative makers, builders, designers and entrepreneurs, all learning, growing, and cultivating breakthrough ideas. Suitable for freelancers, small and medium businesses, as well as established professionals, M_39 provides a flexible membership driven workspace, studios, and communal facilities in which to operate and create. It is an ideas lab, a venture studio, a place to bring projects and businesses and grow them in a community of like-minded people. 

Located at the heart of MiZa, the innovation district developed in Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi, M_39 consists of shared workspaces, dedicated studio spaces, convening spaces, meeting spaces, project spaces, an auditorium and podcast recording studio.

Accompanied by programmes for personal and professional development and courses for business growth and entrepreneurship, M_39 aims to empower creative commerce to grow and accelerate. 

The BA Honours Graphic Design degree equips and inspires students to become future creative designers. The course, built on a strong tradition of design education developed at our London campus, embraces contemporary changes in the creative industries. Offering a wide range of projects and outcomes, the programme encourages students to challenge the boundaries of graphic design and develop their own distinctive creative voices, supported by expert staff and world-class facilities. Throughout the course, students engage in problem-solving projects across various fields, including branding, typography, editorial design, advertising, packaging, and digital media. They develop skills in conceptual thinking, media processes, and industry-standard software, enabling them to communicate ideas effectively and address visual communication challenges to a professional standard. We promote an auto-ethnographic approach, encouraging students to draw inspiration from their own cultural backgrounds and contexts, and development of original and innovative design solutions.

Recognized by prestigious design organisations like D&AD, RSA, and ISTD, our students are frequently awarded at both national and international levels. Graduates have gone on to work for leading design consultancies, advertising agencies, and media organisations worldwide. Our graphics students contributed to Middlesex University Dubai winning 'University of the Year 2019' at the Dubai Lynx Festival of Creativity for the entire MENA region.

We also host ‘THAT DESIGN FEST’ a first of its kind design festival specially designed to cater to students. THAT Design Festival is the platform in the UAE where students and professionals can come together to collaborate on the future of our industry. 

The Ministry of Culture, in line with its vision of "A culture that inspires the world and empowers young people to create the future," is committed to enriching the cultural sector in the United Arab Emirates. The Ministry achieves this by supporting Emirati cultural, artistic, and heritage institutions, providing a platform for creative and talented individuals across various fields, and promoting dialogue between different cultures. Additionally, the Ministry collaborates with strategic partners to deliver impactful outcomes that reflect the UAE's vibrant and diverse cultural scene at the local, regional, and global levels.

The Ministry has two primary national missions:
• Preserving Cultural Acquisitions and Developing Expertise: The Ministry focuses on preserving cultural assets, fostering skills crucial for sustainability, and supporting a knowledge-based economy. This includes supporting cultural and artistic activities, producing knowledge, and preserving both tangible and intangible heritage. The ministry also encourages artistic movements and raises awareness of culture's educational and social roles in collaboration with national and international cultural and artistic institutions.
• Upholding the Emirati Identity and Enhancing the Cultural Sector: The Ministry is dedicated to preserving the Emirati identity, elevating the global status of the cultural and youth sectors, and maximizing their contribution as active and productive components of the national economy. This is achieved by safeguarding the National Cultural Heritage, promoting cultural and creative industries, and investing in the energy and talents of young people to empower them.

National Pavilion UAE – La Biennale di Venezia curates untold stories about the UAE’s arts and architecture through its participation at the Venice Biennale, and provides a high-profile platform for curatorial concepts that address critical international conversations from a distinctive local perspective.

For each annual edition of the biennale, one of the world’s most significant and rigorous cultural platforms, the National Pavilion UAE appoints and works with curators, artists, and contributors to conceive, research, and develop an exhibition and accompanying publication that advance and preserve understanding of the UAE’s cultural landscape. 

The UAE’s Venice Internship program has provided training and hands-on experience to more than 200 interns, many of whom are now working successfully in cultural fields. 

The National Pavilion UAE is an independent non-profit organisation, commissioned by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation and supported by the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth.

NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. Times Higher Education ranks NYU among the top 30 universities in the world, making NYU Abu Dhabi the highest-ranked university in the UAE and MENA region. 

NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world centre for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. 

NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from over 120 countries and speak over 100 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.

The NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) Art Gallery, established in 2014, is the Gulf’s first of its kind, and among the only university galleries in the region with a programme of scholarly and experimental museum exhibitions. Supporting the progress made by other arts institutions within the UAE, the NYUAD Art Gallery and the projects it supports serve the local arts community as a testing ground for new and innovative curatorial approaches that nourish the dialogue around exhibition practice in the Gulf. 

The programme is recognised for mapping new territories and ideas, presenting exhibitions by internationally established artists, curators, and scholars. A regular book publication programme is a core part of its curatorial frame within its academic mission. In addition, its auxiliary venue, the Project Space is an exhibition laboratory for UAE-based artists and curators. 

Situated within NYU Abu Dhabi, the community of which hails from over 125 countries, the Art Gallery, the Project Space, and the Art Gallery's Reading Room collectively open up artistic opportunities and initiate regional and global dialogue. 

As directed by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed AlQasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the Sharjah Museums Authority (SMA) was established in 2006 as an autonomous government authority. 

SMA links and oversees 16 museums across Sharjah that cover widely varied fields, including Islamic art and culture, archaeology, heritage, science, marine life, as well as the history of Sharjah and the region. 

Sharjah Performing Arts Academy (SPAA) is a world-class facility galvanising communities, showcasing local and international creative talent, and leading the way in higher education for professional performing arts. 

Opened in 2019 and born from the progressive vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, SPAA is the only Academy of its kind in the Middle East. SPAA offers the opportunity for candidates to study full-time Bachelor degrees in Acting, Production Arts and Musical Theatre, in addition to the Trinity Level 6 Diploma in Professional Dance, with programmes led by highly qualified professionals and educators using intensive, practice-based training. 

Through the generosity of HH, Ruler of Sharjah, fully funded scholarships are available for eligible students each academic year.

Tashkeel is a commercial consultancy with studio incubators for visual art & design rooted in the United Arab Emirates. Established in Dubai in 2008 by Sheikha Lateefa bint Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Tashkeel's facilities enable production, experimentation and discourse. 

Its annual programme of training, residencies, workshops, talks, exhibitions, international collaborations and publications aims to further practitioner development, public engagement and lifelong learning. Its commercial services seek to embed UAE-made art and design in the very fabric of society and the economy. 

By nurturing the growth of contemporary art and design, Tashkeel seeks to empower the country's ever growing creative and cultural industries. Tashkeel’s incubator initiatives include: Tanween, which takes a cohort of UAE-based designers through a one-year skills development programme, taking a product inspired by the UAE from concept to completion and their Critical Practice Programme, which invites visual artists to embark on a one-year skills development programme of studio practice, mentorship and training, culminating in a major solo presentation. 

Presenting music, theatre, dance, film and interdisciplinary performances that defy definition, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi is a performing arts centre that presents distinguished professional artists from around the world alongside student, faculty, and community productions. 

The Arts Center draws on the resources of NYUAD to create a dynamic space for research, investigation, and the active pursuit of knowledge and wisdom for audiences as well as visiting artists. The Arts Center’s dance performances are supported by or presented by Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels. The Arts Center is proudly supported by Mubadala.

The Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, in partnership with the Rhodes Island School of Design, runs the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Emerging Artists Fellowship (SEAF), a 10-month artistic education and development programme that supports approximately 15 emerging UAE-based artists each year. 

The SEAF programme aims to identify and nurture emerging artists in the UAE and provide them with artistic and technical knowledge and professional skills. The programme is consistent with the Foundation’s ambitions to establish a more connected community of emerging artists in the UAE and encourage graduate studies in the arts. 

Upon completion of the programme, selected artists are able to gain admission to the Rhode Island School of Design, and are provided with a full scholarship to pursue a Masters in Fine Arts. Graduates join a growing community of emerging artists in the UAE and many have taken advantage of opportunities to participate in the Foundation’s various other arts initiatives.