Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Dubai is the capital? No! Abu Dhabi is. Both are emirates (like states) and both are the capitals of their respect-
ive state, but Abu Dhabi is the seat of UAE power. It just looks like Dubai is the capital, but Abu Dhabi's too
busy counting the oil revenue to careā€¦much.
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Arts
Owing to its Bedouin heritage, the most popular art forms in the UAE are traditional
dance, music and poetry, although of late other forms of artistic expression have seen a
surge in popularity. Sizeable art communities have sprouted in Dubai and Sharjah along-
side world-class galleries and such international art festivals as Art Dubai, Abu Dhabi Art
and the Sharjah Biennial. Abu Dhabi, in fact, is especially ambitious when it comes to po-
sitioning itself as an art world leader by building outposts of the Louvre and the Guggen-
heim on Saadiyat Island ( Click here ) .
The UAE also hosts two annual film festivals: the Abu Dhabi Film Festival ( Click here )
in October and the Dubai International Film Festival ( Click here ) in December.
Poetry
In Bedouin culture a facility with poetry and language is greatly prized. Traditionally, a
poet who could eloquently praise his own people while pointing out the failures of other
tribes was considered a great asset. Modern UAE poets of note include Sultan al-Owais
(1925-2000) and Dr Ahmed al-Madani (1931-95).
Nabati (vernacular poetry) is especially popular and has traditionally been in spoken
form. These days, sheikhs such as Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, Dubai's
ruler, are respected poets in this
tradition.
There are scores of well-known male poets in the UAE who still use the forms of clas-
sical Arab poetry, though they often experiment with combining it with other styles. There
are also some well-known female poets, most of whom write in the modern tafila (prose)
styles. Important names are Rua Salem and her sister Sarah Hareb as well as Sheikha
Maisoon al-Oasimi.
 
 
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