He stressed the interest of the country's leadership in developing a strong creative movement and promoting art and culture locally and globally

Salem Al Qasimi: Culture and creativity are essential resources for sustainable development

Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of Culture and Youth, stressed that culture and creativity are renewable resources in the country, which makes them essential for the sustainable development process.

The launch of the National Strategy for Cultural and Creative Industries to coincide with the International Year of the Creative Economy for Sustainable Development in 2021 was seen as proof of the UAE's commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Minister of Culture and Youth noted that the UAE's participation in the International Exhibition of Architecture at the Venice Biennale 2023 confirms its commitment to participate in cultural aspects globally.

After opening the exhibition "Barren Abundance", celebrating the fifth participation of the UAE National Pavilion in the Venice Biennale, he said that his participation in the exhibition aims to show his support for the UAE Pavilion in this important artistic and cultural platform, and also reflects the importance of the country's role in the international exhibition.

The exhibition welcomes visitors and the public to explore its creative content until 26 November 2023 at the permanent headquarters of the National Pavilion in the Arsenal-Salle d'Arme area of the Venice Biennale.

Strong creative movement

Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qasimi explained that the presence of the country for the 12th consecutive year at the World Expo confirms its commitment to participate in the cultural aspects globally, and indicates the extent of the country's leadership's interest in developing a strong creative movement in the country, promoting art and culture locally, regionally and globally, and supporting artists and architects in displaying their works in prestigious international platforms to show the development of the local creative scene in the United Arab Emirates.

Historic agreement

The UAE has participated in the World Expo since 2009, and in 2013, it signed a historic agreement to establish its permanent national pavilion at the exhibition.

Al Qasimi expressed the country's pride in being part of this prestigious exhibition to promote its architectural creations and display them to international visitors to the exhibition, adding that the National Pavilion of the State 2021 won the Golden Lion Award after achieving the best national participation in the Venice Biennale 2021 for showcasing the relationship between production and recycling waste locally.

He added that the Venice Biennale serves as a great platform to promote national talent in the country and showcase the cultural and artistic values of the country. He explained that architecture is an essential element of culture that showcases civilization, its past, present and future. This was wonderfully expressed at the UAE Expo 2023 to draw on the past and build for the future. It also contributes to strengthening bilateral relations between the UAE and Italy.

Bridges of Communication

The Minister of Culture and Youth stressed that the UAE's participation in the important international exhibition represents one of the most important aspects of the country's cultural diplomacy and is one of the important tools for interacting with the global situation, and the country's cultural diplomacy contributes to building bridges of communication between world cultures and promoting global peace and stability.

The objectives of the UAE National Pavilion include shedding light on life in desert spaces and showing its relationship to dealing with the repercussions of climate change in light of the country's readiness to host the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 28) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Dubai from November 30 to December 12 this year, where culture is one of the important aspects of the global dialogue on the phenomenon of climate change.

The Minister of Culture and Youth pointed out that "our ancestors were able to adapt to climatic phenomena and adopt sustainable practices aimed at coexisting with the difficult climatic conditions in the Arabian Gulf region. Our culture is full of traditional practices that contain lessons in sustainable lifestyles and overcoming water and food scarcity."

He highlighted the UAE's commitment to engaging in a global dialogue on environmental protection, noting that the country's participation in Expo 2023 showcases the relationship between waste recycling and production locally and globally.

Ancestral legacy

He explained that the country's forward-looking approach and ancestral legacy serve as an inspiration for the wise leadership to launch national policies and strategies aimed at building sustainable and inclusive societies. The country, which has a rich cultural heritage, has been able to enhance its cultural heritage thanks to a number of factors, the most important of which are the strategic policies launched by the country's leadership and creative national talents.

Cultural Industries

Al Qasimi added: "The National Strategy for Cultural and Creative Industries provides guidance to build a strong infrastructure for the creative economy by enabling creativity and creating an enabling environment for doing business. Therefore, creating the right means to support talent is a step forward in the right direction. For example, the strategy provides scholarships to provide training and education for young creators to get jobs in the creative fields, in addition to addressing the weaknesses of creators and providing solutions to address them, which include funding and providing appropriate channels, and the state supports creative projects from start to finish." The UAE National Pavilion is one such endeavor supported by the UAE government to foster creativity and talent.

In 2019, the UAE launched the Sharjah Architecture Triennial as the first major architectural platform in the Middle East and the Global South.

Minister of Culture and Youth:

"Our culture is full of traditional practices that contain lessons in sustainable lifestyles."

"The state's forward-looking approach and ancestral legacy serve as an inspiration to wise leadership."