Over the past 38 years the UAE has emerged as a regional centre for entertainment with big-name performers and A-list celebrities stopping by to launch hotels, make films or simply party like never before.

This newfound status is a result of several new cultural developments. Dedicated festivals and fairs continue both to bring in tourists and enrich residents' lives.

Emirates Business takes a look at some of these developments.

FILM FESTIVALS

The establishment in 2001 of the Emirates Short Films competition, later renamed the Emirates Film Competition, set the tenor for the red-carpet Hollywood action the UAE has seen in recent years. The event attracted professional, amateur and student filmmakers and has continued to throw up some of the country's finest talents.

The Dubai International Film Festival, launched in 2001 under the theme Bridging Cultures, Meeting Minds, took that a step further, both by presenting top films from around the world and serving as a high-profile platform for aspiring home-grown talent. Its Muhr Award for Excellence in Arab Cinema was launched in 2006 to recognise Arab filmmakers both regionally and internationally.

The UAE is today home to five different such events annually, including Abu Dhabi's Middle East International Film Festival, first held in 2007, and the Gulf Film Festival in Dubai and Prerna Film Festival in Sharjah, both of which were first held last year.

MUSIC AND DANCE FESTIVALS

One of the first music festivals in the UAE celebrated rock and metal music. The Dubai Desert Rock Festival, born in 2004, put the nation on the world map for rock music and acts such as Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Sepultura, The Prodigy, Robert Plant and Strange Sensation, Korn and Velvet Revolver have all played at the event.

A year earlier the first Dubai Jazz Festival drew 8,000 people. In the years that followed the event went from strength to strength, bringing in 30,000 people over a 10-day-long party this year, with the likes of James Blunt and John Legend headlining a bill of rock, pop, jazz and blues. Other events such as the Life Music Festival and the Desert Rhythm Festival have seen the likes of Paul Weller and Lauryn Hill brighten up the UAE's stages.

As of 2009, the UAE is home to the World of Music, Arts and Dance Festival, held in Abu Dhabi, which brings together artists from all over the globe in a celebration of the world's many forms of music, arts and dance.

And classical music isn't far behind. The Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation has blazed a cultural trail with performances by tenor José Carreras, pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, violinist Sarah Chang and soprano Hiba Al Kawas. It has also been particularly successful in establishing a cultural link among young national students from the country's universities. Since last year, Abu Dhabi Classics has welcomed talent at the very top of its game to Emirates Palace and Al Ain's Al Jalili Fort, notably singers Cecilia Bartoli and Bobby McFerrin, pianist Lang Lang and orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic and the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra. Many of these events have also served as showcases for local acts, and bands such as Juliana Down, Nervecell and Mannikind have all benefited from exposure at such festivals. In fact, the annual Dubai International Peace Music Festival (for Young Virtuosos), first held in 2004, is largely a celebration of young talent from around the region.

FASHION WEEKS

Fashion weeks are an indication that a city's art and design community is maturing. Spring 2007 saw the first ever Dubai Fashion Week (DFW) showcasing creations by established locally-based and upcoming Emirati designers. Now held bi-annually to keep up with fashion's two main seasons, the DFW has quickly established itself as the premier local fashion event in the UAE.

It was only a matter of time before other organisers saw the potential of a dedicated fashion event. This year saw the arrival of Fashion Expo Arabia (FEA) in Abu Dhabi, a fashion trade show that was billed as "the largest-ever mid-high end fashion trade show launched in the GCC". Interestingly, FEA ran the same week as DFW's October event. The same month, French firm WSN Developpement launched UAE versions of two long-running international shows, Première Classe and Who's Next, focusing on accessories and ready-to-wear in Dubai. Then there was the first Arabia Fashion Week, targeted at buyers of garments, leather, accessories and textiles.

And that's not all: Dubai's very own Summer Surprises features an annual four-day Fashion Fiesta showcasing designs by local and emerging designers. "Fashion is the one sector where the UAE is not home to a global event," Christopher Hudson, Managing Director of Mecom Forums, which organised Fashion Expo Arabia (FEA), told in October. There is a lot more where that came from, it seems.

TELEVISION AND FILM PRODUCTION

From big-budget Hollywood productions such as Syriana and The Kingdom to mega-financed Bollywood films such as Race and Boom, the UAE's exotic locations have played host to a number of high-profile international film shoots. An increasing number of films from regional producers, including ones from the GCC and Egypt and even the Philippines, have also been shot in the emirates.

According to Dubai Studio City Executive Director Jamal Al Sharif, that number is set to grow. "Dubai offers a range of benefits for prospective partners including being a safe destination, logistical advantages and a 100 per cent tax-free environment," he said.

"The enhanced ease of operation that our Location Approval Services provides has proved popular with the industry. It has registered a growth of 123 per cent in film permit applications during 2007 – that equals more than 650 shoots in a year."

And with all the attention Hollywood producers are paying to the UAE, could Paris Hilton be far behind? The hotel heiress-turned-actor-singer-TV star was here in June to film the fourth reincarnation of her hugely successful My New BFF (Hilton-speak for "best friends forever"). While the airing date for the Dubai BFF show has not been announced, Paris Hilton's 20-day stay in the emirates did attract its fair share of global media attention, inclusive of all the controversies she is prone to draw. Earlier this year pop-star and judge of British talent show X Factor Danii Minogue was in Dubai, along with sister Kylie, six contestants and the production crew to film a section of the ITV reality show. Most of the segment was shot at the Atlantis on the Palm Jumeirah.

SHOPPING FESTIVALS

Over its 15-year history, Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) has established itself as a leading global attraction. From 1.6 million visitors who spent Dh2.1 billion in 1996, the event last year played host to more than 3.2 million visitors who spent a reported Dh10bn during the festival's month-and-a-half long attractions.

Millions of dirhams in prize money, more than 977 Lexus cars and a number of luxury apartments have been given away during the DSF in the past. Organised by the Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing department (DTCM), DSF will turn 14 when it returns in January next year.

The DSF's hot-weather sister event, Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) is also gaining in popularity, led by its ever-smiling mascot, Modhesh. Featuring special events in many of the shopping malls there is an emphasis on family at the DSS focusing on both fun and education. Modhesh Fun City, a play and educational area for kids, remains open during the duration of the festival. Not to be left behind, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority last year announced the beginning of Summer in Abu Dhabi, now an annual event. The plan, says the authority, is to attract up to three million visitors to the capital annually by 2015.

CONCERTS

From Roger Waters, Elton John and Gloria Gaynor to Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo, the UAE has welcomed some of the biggest names in the music business to its stages and arenas over the years.

But perhaps most memorable of all was Robbie Williams' April 2006 concert. One of the biggest the UAE has seen, some 25,000 fans turned up to watch the singer at the height of his fame. As home to nationals of more than 120 countries, the Emirates welcome all genres of musical talent. Arabic singers Amr Diab, Nancy Ajram, Myriam Fares and Haifa Wehbe are all regular visitors, as are Indian superstars such as Asha Bhosle, Hariharan and Yesudas. Pakistani rock and pop acts often come calling, too, and Iranian legend Googoosh is now an annual fixture on the calendars.

GOING PRIVATE

The country's high concentration of wealth means its residents like to party in private – and exclusive, high-powered private events are big business for local venues and international events companies alike.

Tickets available for neither love nor money included Tina Turner's first-ever performance in the Middle East for Abraaj Capital, Diana Ross and George Benson performing at the Dubai Airshow gala, and perhaps most notably, Kylie Minogue pocketing a reported $4.4 million to perform at the opening of the Atlantis resort on the Palm Jumeirah last November, an event that drew an A-list crowd from around the world.

ART FAIRS

It was the Sharjah Biennial, launched in 1993, that put the UAE on the art map. Since its inception, the event has worked as a cultural bridge between artists, art institutions and organisations locally, regionally and internationally, now occupying a key regional position in the production and presentation of art and in fostering experimentation.

Art Dubai was launched in 2007 to set the business of art within a context that is intelligent, stimulating and relevant. Its third edition in 2009 attracted more than 14,000 visitors from around the world. Meanwhile, after a local version of the French event Art Paris, 2009 saw the first edition of Abu Dhabi Art, a multi-dimensional event that encompassed an art fair, exhibitions, multimedia performances and workshops.

CELEBRITY CHEFS

One big trend in recent years has been the explosion of UAE restaurants run by celebrity and Michelin-star chefs. Formerly restricted to the odd food festival, the scene changed with Gordon Ramsay's opening of Verre at the Hilton Dubai Creek. The UAE is now also home to several gourmet events, including the annual Taste of Dubai food fair and the capital's Gourmet Abu Dhabi.

 

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