ArtDayME: Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) and Member of the Dubai Council, attended the closing ceremony of the inaugural Dhai Dubai Art, an Emirati-led light art festival hosted by Expo City Dubai in partnership with AGB Creative and with the support of Dubai Culture.

Over its 10 days, the festival, which concluded on 4th February, showcased dazzling light installations, a variety of artistic and cultural activities, workshops, and insightful discussions that highlighted the spirit of cultural discovery and creative synergy.

During her visit to Dhai Dubai, Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed engaged with Emirati artists and designers, praising their creative prowess and global impact across artistic disciplines, besides their achievements in nurturing creativity and innovation. She commended the festival for embodying a constructive partnership that celebrates global success alongside local creativity, showcasing Dubai and the UAE’s rich cultural and creative identity through a platform that fosters dialogue and supports Emirati talent in artistic expression through the medium of lights while helping them carve a niche for themselves in the artistic world.

Sheikha Latifa expressed her admiration for the mesmerising array of light installations and interactive art during her visit to Dhai Dubai. The festival showcased a blend of traditional and contemporary creativity, bringing together artists and audiences from diverse backgrounds, celebrating cultural diversity, facilitating the sharing of creative insights, and fostering collaboration among global creators.

Following its hugely successful debut, Sheikha Latifa announced that the second edition of Dhai Dubai had been scheduled from 26th January to 4th February 2025. The next edition promises to chart new creative journeys, offering artists and designers a platform to experiment with innovative mediums, present groundbreaking ideas, and exhibit their work before an international audience.

This year’s Dhai Dubai featured contributions from leading Emirati talents in art and design, including Matar bin Lahej, renowned for his calligraphic work on the Museum of the Future; Dr Najat Makki, recipient of the French Chevalier of Arts and Letters; Emirates Fine Arts Society co-founder Dr Mohamed Yousef; designer Abdulla Almulla, a participant in the London Design Biennale and Dubai Design Week; multidisciplinary artist Maitha Hamdan; esteemed designer Khalid Al Shafar, known for collaborations with LASVIT and the Louvre Abu Dhabi; and celebrated visual artist Reem Al Ghaith.

Through the festival, Al Wasl Plaza’s dome turned into a mesmerising canvas, showcasing Dubai’s cultural diversity through immersive light displays. The event also embraced Dubai’s spirit of humanitarianism by partnering with ‘Liter of Light,’ a global initiative dedicated to providing solar-powered lighting to communities without access to electricity. This partnership extended support to the Agusan Marsh’s floating villages in the Philippines, inviting festival attendees to contribute financially to expanding the initiative’s reach to more communities in the Philippines, Kenya, Cameroon, and India.