In January 2016, while searching for a decent bite of food at the World Economic Forum in Davos (which is harder to find than heads of state, movie stars or mega-deals with tech tycoons), I encountered a friend who was also in need of a sandwich. She was a young, brilliant woman who ran a major media centre in the Middle East. I was with the woman who would later become my wife and the conversation between the three of us soon turned to the role of culture and media at events like Davos.
Both I and my partner Carla Dirlikov Canales, a singer with a wonderful, truly global career who also runs an NGO focused on using music to bridge cultural divides internationally, were fascinated by the observations of our friend Noura Al Kaabi, who was then the chief executive of the TwoFour54 media hub in Abu Dhabi. We all agreed that most big conferences that are supposedly devoted to the big trends shaping the world tended to treat cultural issues as secondary. There would be the occasional artist brought out for a performance or to lend celebrity value but the big drivers of change and the “important” discussions tended to be about politics, finance, security and technology.
Yet we saw culture differently. When ISIL entered Palmyra, they destroyed the ancient ruins because they saw all cultures other than their own as a threat to their extremist ideology. The Taliban had done the same in Afghanistan. Al Qaeda rallied support by framing the spread of western media and art as a threat. Beyond these examples, we also saw rising nationalism and nativism as cultural trends that were having profound and unsettling political consequences.
Further in a connected world, we were entering the first time in human history when because anyone, anywhere, was connected to everyone, everywhere, that we would be sharing a single cultural eco-system for the first time. This was not only breeding some of the fears that political opportunists and extremists selling intolerance were exploiting but it was creating real questions about its potential impact, about how to take advantage of the windows to new thinking it would offer, how to preserve ancient cultures and how to deal with the host of other questions new media and information technologies, from virtual reality to artificial intelligence, might pose.
That conversation led to another a month later in Abu Dhabi, when we arrived at the idea of creating a kind of Davos for culture, where leaders from the arts, philanthropy, technology, the media and policy communities would be brought together to address these questions. What would set the event apart was the recognition that culture was a primary driver of change and one that could be used to produce concrete, positive outcomes, whether with respect to combating extremism, fighting climate change, empowering women, preserving heritage or educating our young.
By then Ms Al Kaabi was the UAE's Culture and Development Minister and with her support and that of many top officials in government, the first Culture Summit was launched exactly a year ago. The second annual event begins tomorrow on Saadiyat Island not far from the new Louvre Abu Dhabi, a monument to the broader commitment to culture and cultural diplomacy made by the UAE leadership. Working with our energetic and committed partners at Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism, this year's event, with a focus on "unexpected collaborations", will bring together 500 people from more than 90 countries. With guests including everyone from a Nobel Prize winner to top arts awards recipients, a major orchestra, debut performances in diverse art forms and high-level discussions and workshops, it will be like no other event that takes place on the planet. And as we convene – with the goal of producing concrete programmes worldwide in arts education to help address the big issues cited above – it is clearer than ever that the need for such a gathering has only grown.
Beneath every major political movement in the world and every rift or conflict, there are cultural underpinnings. Through the arts and media, creative thinkers have shaped and reshaped public views on the very nature of the universe, values and aspirations since the dawn of time. But for the first time in history, those creative thinkers can work in concert with partners from every corner of the globe and experience new technological tools that can enhance their impact and produce real change in ways that most of the so-called elite you might find at Davos or other such events can only dream of.
We never did find much to eat that January day in Switzerland. But we did find food for thought that has led to a new kind of global leadership forum, thanks to the partnership of a government and individuals that recognised the watershed moment in which we live and the central role inspiration and imagination must play in our lives if we are to successfully confront the great issues of our time.
The Culture Summit 2018 runs from April 8 to 12 in Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi
David Rothkopf is CEO of The Rothkopf Group, senior fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and most recently author of The Great Questions of Tomorrow
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Poacher
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The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Playing records of the top 10 in 2017
How many games the top 10 have undertaken in the 2017 ATP season
1. Rafael Nadal 58 (49-9)
2. Andy Murray 35 (25-10)
3. Roger Federer 38 (35-3)
4. Stan Wawrinka 37 (26-11)
5. Novak Djokovic 40 (32-8)
6. Alexander Zverev 60 (46-14)
7. Marin Cilic 43 (29-14)
8. Dominic Thiem 60 (41-19)
9. Grigor Dimitrov 48 (34-14)
10. Kei Nishikori 43 (30-13)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday, February 8 v Kenya; Friday, February 9 v Canada; Sunday, February 11 v Nepal; Monday, February 12 v Oman; Wednesday, February 14 v Namibia; Thursday, February 15 final
More coverage from the Future Forum
South Africa squad
Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wicketkeeper), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
RESULTS - ELITE MEN
1. Henri Schoeman (RSA) 57:03
2. Mario Mola (ESP) 57:09
3. Vincent Luis (FRA) 57:25
4. Leo Bergere (FRA)57:34
5. Jacob Birtwhistle (AUS) 57:40
6. Joao Silva (POR) 57:45
7. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) 57:56
8. Adrien Briffod (SUI) 57:57
9. Gustav Iden (NOR) 57:58
10. Richard Murray (RSA) 57:59
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Company%20profile
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