Dubai Culture Wins Two Top Awards at GovMedia 2024 in Singapore

Photo : Dubai Government Media Office

Dubai, UAE – The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) was recognised with two major awards at the GovMedia Conference 2024, held in Singapore this June. These awards highlight Dubai Culture’s ongoing efforts to grow the city’s cultural scene and show the world how Dubai supports creativity, talent, and heritage.

The Authority received:

• “UAE Public Sector Initiative of the Year” for hosting the World Cities Culture Summit 2024
• “UAE Public-Private Partnership of the Year” for the joint project ‘Dubai Culture & Google: Digitising Heritage & Empowering Creatives’

Both honours were presented under the Culture and Arts category, showing how much Dubai’s creative efforts are being noticed across the region and beyond.

Making History with the World Cities Culture Summit

Dubai Culture made history by hosting the World Cities Culture Summit (WCCS) 2024, becoming the first city in the MENA region to hold this global event. The theme was "Tomorrow’s Culture: How Will the Next Generation Shape Our World?"

This was the biggest WCCS ever held, bringing together 141 experts and officials from 36 cities. It gave them a chance to share ideas on how cities can support the creative economy, help artists, and plan for a better cultural future.

At the Summit, Dubai Culture also shared a major study called “Future of Education in the Creative Economy.” The report looked at how creative industries are growing and how education must play a key role in helping young people join this field.

Another exciting launch during the Summit was the Night-Time Economy Policy Accelerator, made in partnership with the World Cities Culture Forum and VibeLab. This programme supports cultural events that happen at night—like art shows, music festivals, and more—which help boost the local economy.

For the first time ever, Dubai Culture also hosted a public session called “Tomorrow’s Talent: What Do Creatives Need from Cities?” Over 250 people attended, including artists, leaders, and students. It gave young talents the chance to speak up and share what support they need from their cities.

The event also followed many eco-friendly practices, such as low-carbon plans, digital tools, recycling stations, and sustainable transport. This shows how serious Dubai Culture is about protecting the environment while promoting the arts.

Working with Google to Share Dubai’s Culture

Dubai Culture also marked five years of partnership with Google through the project “Dubai’s Culture and Heritage” on the Google Arts & Culture platform. The newest phase of the project launched last year and includes:

• Over 130 stories
• More than 1,200 photos
• Over 40 videos
• All available in Arabic and English

These stories show different sides of Dubai’s culture—from traditional clothes and crafts to public art and everyday life. The content was created with help from local artists and storytellers to ensure it reflects the real spirit of Dubai.

Supporting the Next Generation
As part of this collaboration, Dubai Culture and Google also started the MENA Creatives Bootcamp. This programme helps young creators learn how to use tools like AI and new technology to build their projects. It also supports them in making a living from their art while staying true to their goals and values.

A Word from Dubai Culture
Shaima Rashed Al Suwaidi, CEO of the Arts, Design and Literature Sector at Dubai Culture, who led both award-winning projects, said:

“These awards show our strong belief in supporting creative people in every field. We are proud to highlight Dubai as a place full of ideas, culture, and opportunities. Our work with Google helps bring our traditions to the world, while the World Cities Culture Summit gave us a platform to share our story with global leaders.”