Ministers of Culture from across the world gathered virtually on Wednesday to discuss the "cultural crisis" brought upon the creative industry by the coronavirus pandemic.
The meeting, held on Zoom, involved more than 200 participants from 140 countries and was live-streamed on the Unesco website.
Audrey Azoulay, director-general of Unesco, and Ernesto Ottone Ramirez, assistant director-general for culture at Unesco, convened the meeting.
We must make a very strong case to protect the individuals and companies who work in the creative sector
"We need a global response to this crisis," Ramirez said.
"It's the culture sector in particular that is affected ... and the shockwave will affect us in years to come."
Over the session, which was scheduled to take two hours but went for over six, ministers spoke passionately about the need for global co-operation to ensure the creative sector survived the pandemic, as they shared their own country's experiences and how they were dealing with the closure of museums and cultural institutions, a lack of tourism and artists largely out of work. Many spoke of a crucial pivot to online operations for the cultural industry, which could now be a permanent fixture for many institutions.
Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, represented the UAE during the online conference.
In her speech, Al Kaabi took the opportunity to call for a "creative and bold" response to the issues faced in the creative industry around the world.
She said the UAE closed museums and cultural organisations immediately in the face of the pandemic, which "rapidly took their events online like everywhere else", with extra funds and financial help available to those in the sector.
Al Kaabi then outlined the work of the Cultural and Creative Industries Council, which held a "remote and urgent" meeting earlier this month to discuss the funding of the sector. A "collective action plan" was then agreed upon.
The minister also spoke about the national survey launched last week in a bid to further understand the operational and economic challenges facing the cultural industry. The results from this will be available next week, and used to provide support.
"We must make a very strong case to protect the individuals and companies who work in the creative sector," Al Kaabi said.
She also called on Unesco to provide a manual to explain the policies that were required in "times like these".
Yeong Woo Oh, South Korea's Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, pledged a willingness to share policies and information with other nations navigating the pandemic, as they had experienced it early.
"It is imperative that our countries join forces so we can return to normal life," Oh said. South Korea had been quick to migrate its operations online, setting up tax relief, employment opportunities and access to funds to help workers in need and ensure the continuation of creative work throughout the pandemic.
Cinemas would receive additional funds and tax exemptions.
Zhang Xu, China's Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said the country had "paid special attention to the cultural sector" and developed new business models to help it survive the pandemic.
This included tax exemptions and cost-reducing measures.
Koichi Hagiuda, Japan's Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, outlined the measures they had taken since a state of emergency was declared on April 16, and reiterated the country's determination to host the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Lilja Dogg Alfredsdottir, Iceland's Minister of Education, Science and Culture, said the country had been "focusing on education".
This meant creating special funds for the creative sector, increasing salaries for artists and introducing nationwide initiatives, such as one focused on reading.
Throughout the pandemic, Iceland has kept its pre-schools and schools open, with restrictions in place.
Iceland has so far recorded 1,778 confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, spoke of the country's tourism and cultural industry and the fact that it was self-sustainable before Covid-19.
Sri Lanka "depends heavily on the cultural and tourism sectors", and in 2018, the tourism sector brought in $4 billion (Dh14.69bn).
He said going forward, it would require support from both the government and international bodies.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Europe's top EV producers
- Norway (63% of cars registered in 2021)
- Iceland (33%)
- Netherlands (20%)
- Sweden (19%)
- Austria (14%)
- Germany (14%)
- Denmark (13%)
- Switzerland (13%)
- United Kingdom (12%)
- Luxembourg (10%)
Source: VCOe
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Takreem Awards winners 2021
Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)
Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)
Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)
Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)
Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)
Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)
Lifetime Achievement: Suad Al Amiry (Palestine)
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
'Nightmare Alley'
Director:Guillermo del Toro
Stars:Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Racecard
6pm: Mina Hamriya – Handicap (TB) $75,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
6.35pm: Al Wasl Stakes – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.10pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,900m
7.45pm: Blue Point Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,000m
8.20pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (T) 2,810m
8.55pm: Mina Rashid – Handicap (TB) $80,000 (T) 1,600m
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre supercharged V6
Power: 416hp at 7,000rpm
Torque: 410Nm at 3,500rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100km
Price: Dh375,000
On sale: now
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
UAE SQUAD FOR ASIAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP
Men’s squad: Faisal Al Ketbi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Kathiri, Thiab Al Nuaimi, Khaled Al Shehhi, Mohamed Ali Al Suwaidi, Farraj Khaled Al Awlaqi, Muhammad Al Ameri, Mahdi Al Awlaqi, Saeed Al Qubaisi, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Hazaa Farhan
Women's squad: Hamda Al Shekheili, Shouq Al Dhanhani, Balqis Abdullah, Sharifa Al Namani, Asma Al Hosani, Maitha Sultan, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Maha Al Hanaei, Shamma Al Kalbani, Haya Al Jahuri, Mahra Mahfouz, Marwa Al Hosani, Tasneem Al Jahoori and Maryam Al Amri
2017%20RESULTS%3A%20FRENCH%20VOTERS%20IN%20UK
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFirst%20round%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EEmmanuel%20Macron%3A%2051.1%25%3Cbr%3EFrancois%20Fillon%3A%2024.2%25%3Cbr%3EJean-Luc%20Melenchon%3A%2011.8%25%3Cbr%3EBenoit%20Hamon%3A%207.0%25%3Cbr%3EMarine%20Le%20Pen%3A%202.9%25%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESecond%20round%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EEmmanuel%20Macron%3A%2095.1%25%3Cbr%3EMarine%20Le%20Pen%3A%204.9%25%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The team
Videographer: Jear Velasquez
Photography: Romeo Perez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Models: Meti and Clinton at MMG
Video assistant: Zanong Maget
Social media: Fatima Al Mahmoud
