Abu Dhabi: United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital Abu Dhabi has been officially designated as a ‘city of music’ by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Creative Cities Network.
The designation was announced on November 8, 2021 by UNESCO as it celebrated world cities day.
The title ‘city of music’ reinforce Abu Dhabi’s leading position on the world music map, as home to a resilient and sustainable music ecosystem based on innovation, collaboration and shared governance.
Abu Dhabi joins more than 50 other cities around the world which have earned the UNESCO city of music designation, including London, Liverpool, England; Glasgow, Scotland; Hanover, Germany, Chennai in India, Kingston, Jamaica; and Kansas City in the United States.
On this achievement, Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth of the United Arab Emirates, said: “Music is part of the Emirati folk heritage, flourishing and developing in different places in the Emirates, and the lyrical poems accompanying folk music tell the pride of the Emirati. in his identity and pride in himself and his environment.”
On November 8, 2021, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia and Qatar’s capital Doha also made it to UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network.
Notably, since 2004, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network aims to highlight the creativity of its members in seven areas: crafts and folk arts, media arts, film, design, gastronomy, literature and music. The Network includes more than 116 cities in 73 countries.