Popular
Emirati
Musicians
Mohammed
al-Mazem
Fayez al-Saeed
Ruwaida
al-Mahrooqi
Aida al-Manhali
Mehad Hamad
Eda bin Tanaf
al-Manhalyin the region. On the downside, only a tiny percentage of the art-
ists who exhibit in Dubai were raised in the UAE and there are no
government-funded galleries in the country.
Al-Quoz Art District
Perhaps the most surprising thing about Dubai’s sudden enthusiasm
for art is the development of an art neighbourhood, tucked away in
the otherwise uninviting Al-Quoz area. This featureless congregation
of industrial estates along the edge of Sheikh Zayed Rd is home to
several cutting-edge galleries (p80). Art isn’t part of the school cur-
riculum in the UAE, but it is hoped that these galleries will inspire a
new generation of homegrown artists.
UAE Art
Dubai isn’t the only city in the Gulf experiencing an upsurge in art
interest. In Doha, Qatar, the government-funded Museum of Islamic
Art opened in December 2008 in a spectacular building by IM Pei,
the US-based architect nicknamed the ‘mandarin of modernism’.
In Abu Dhabi, an international cast of five Pritzker Prize win-
ners (the ‘Oscar awards’ of architecture) has been commissioned to
build four museums and a performing arts centre on Saadiyat Island
(p119). Including Middle Eastern branches of the Louvre (designed
by Jean Nouvel) and the Guggenheim (by Frank Gehry), the cultural
district is poised to become a major showcase of 21st-century archi-
tecture, arts and culture. Of course, such ambitious plans leave Abu
Dhabi open to a charge you could also direct at Dubai: that it’s spend-
ing millions of dollars on importing culture while homegrown artists
receive practically no support.
DancE
Dubai’s contact with East and North African cultures through trade,
both seafaring and by camel caravan, has brought many musical and
dance influences to the UAE shores. Thus, traditional songs and dances
are inspired by the environment – the sea, desert and mountains.
One of the most popular dances is the ayyalah, a typical Bedouin
dance performed throughout the Gulf. The UAE has its own varia-
tion, performed to a simple drumbeat, with anywhere between 25
and 200 men standing with their arms linked in two rows facing
each other. They wave walking sticks or swords in front of them-
selves and sway back and forth, the two rows taking it in turn to
sing. It’s a war dance and the words expound the virtues of cour-
age and bravery in battle. You can see the dance on video at Dubai
Museum (p65).
rocK & alTernaTiVe Music̈ abri Arguably Dubai’s top contemporary band playing a mix of soul and jazz�
̈ nervecell Death-metal band that tours internationally and whose latest album
Psychogenocide (2011) has enjoyed rave reviews�
̈ nikotin Another hard-rock band that enjoys a firm uAE following�
̈ crow Murder Five-piece metal band that plays regular Dubai gigs�
̈ dahab Acoustic ethnic rock band with ’70s influence�
̈ sandwash Influenced by East African rhythms, rap and R&B�a
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