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Culture Dubai’s cultural life comes in a distant third to making money and having fun, with cultural activities – where they are available at all – limited in scale. Dubai’s cultural life has always suffered from not having a major venue for cultural performances, although the Dubai Community Theatre is scheduled for completion in late 2002. With such a small population, there are no major indigenous orchestras or dance companies, although it is possible to find localised groups who occasionally put on public performances. A relative hive of cultural activity is the Creative Art Centre, Al-Jumeirah Road (tel: (04) 344 4394), which runs from Saturday to Wednesday. Mornings are reserved for young children, afternoons for older children and, in winter, evenings are set aside for adult classes. A wide range of cultural and handicraft activities are covered. The Dubai International Arts Centre, off Al-Jumeirah Road (tel: (04) 344 4398), offers a similar range, as well as art displays, with works for sale. There is no umbrella ticketing organisation in Dubai and tourists wishing to buy tickets for cultural events can often get this organised through their hotels. The monthly Time Out magazine, which can be found in many hotels, provides information on events and performances in Dubai. Music: Opportunities to hear classical music performed in Dubai are extremely limited. The Dubai International Congress Centre, Dubai World Trade Centre, Bur Dubai (tel: (04) 331 4200; website: www.dwtc.com), and The Crowne Plaza Hotel, Sheik Zayed Road (tel: (04) 331 1111), are the main venues that host visiting orchestras and musicians from around the world, although performances are far from regular. Many hotels employ a pianist to spice up their lobby, which is often as near to classical music as Dubai gets. Arabic nightclubs (see Dance) are the main venues for traditional Arabian music. Theatre: There is only one permanent theatre company in Dubai. The Indian Playhouse, Intercontinental Hotel (tel: (04) 222 7171 or 205 7333), features performances by Burjor Patel Productions and hosts the travelling British Airways Playhouse, which makes frequent visits to Dubai. Dubai Drama Group (website: www.dubaidramagroup.org) is an amateur theatrical company with over 100 members. Dubai’s first purpose-built Community Theatre is planned for completion by the end of 2002. Dance: There are no real dance companies in Dubai, although there are a number of dance schools, including the renowned Ballet Centre, behind Jumeirah Plaza (tel: (04) 344 9776), with ballet, jazz, tap and modern dance on offer. In addition, belly dancing and traditional dance are a mainstay in Arabic nightclubs, such as Al-Diwan, Metropolitan Palace Hotel (tel: (04) 227 0000), and Escoba, Al-Khaleej Palace Hotel (tel: (04) 223 1000). Film: Going to the cinema is a very popular pastime in Dubai. There are a number of cinemas for one to choose from, including Al Massa Bustan, Al Bustan Centre (tel: (04) 263 3444; website: www.al.bustan.com), and Frand Cineplex, adjacent to Wafi City (tel: (04) 324 2000), which provide English-language films. The programmes are currently full of big-budget Hollywood films with little arthouse content. Cultural events: Dubai’s dominant culture is founded around the Muslim religion, with most of the main cultural events being deeply religious, with little opportunity for tourists to participate. The year’s major event is the November fasting of Ramadan, a month-long Muslim celebration of the truth of the Holy Koran. Directly following Ramadan is Eid Al-Fitr, a three-day celebration in December. Eid Al-Adha is the four-day festival in February/March that follows the main pilgrimage to Mecca (the Haj). Dubai Summer Surprises is an attempt to attract more visitors during the slump summer months, from June through to September, with a wide range of cultural events – including henna tattoo painting and traditional handicraft making – in many of the city’s shopping malls and big hotels. UAE day, 2 December, is a public holiday celebrated in all of the seven emirates and increasingly is becoming a cultural event. Literary Notes To get right to the heart of Dubai, Graeme Wilson’s Father of Dubai: Sheik Rashid Bin Saeed al Maktoum (1999) is a detailed tribute to the founder of Dubai. Arabia Through the Looking Glass (1979), by Jonathan Raban, covers the region as a whole but also has an illuminating section on Dubai. A local perspective comes from the English translation of Muhammad al-Murr’s Dubai Tales (1991), with his famed short stories fleshing a bit of colour into the place. Muhammed al-Murr is one of the most revered local writers and it is worthwhile trying to get a copy of his other famous book, The Wink of the Mona Lisa (1994). A good pictorial look at Dubai is Ronald Codrai’s mid-20th-century Dubai – An Arabian Album (1992). Kevin Higgins’ The Emirates (1995) is a look at all of the United Arab Emirates and puts Dubai in clear context, while William Facey and Gillian Grant’s The Emirates by the First Photographers (2002) shows the sheer scale of change in Dubai and the other emirates, over the last century. |
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