Initiatives

A professional development programme for cultural professionals from diverse disciplines, designed to instil skills and build networks for long-term creative partnerships across the UAE.

Riwaq Al Fikr – ADMAF Talks: Intercultural Relations Exchange between UAE and Japan

As part of the 15th year of the Riwaq Al-Fikr initiative, which empowers innovative thinking by bringing together leading figures from the fields of thought, politics, culture and media, a panel discussion titled ‘Intercultural Relations Exchange between the UAE and Japan’ was held in October in partnership with the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA).

21/10/2025

Riwaq Al Fikr – ADMAF Talks – Christo and Jeanne-Claude in the UAE: Friendship and Legacy

The panel brings together Ingrid Jochheim, private collector of Christo’s work; Vladimir Yavachef, Christo’s Director of Operations; Emily Doherty, Director of the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award and Fabio Piano, Interim Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of NYU Abu Dhabi, as moderator. Together, they explore Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s forty-year connection with the UAE, offering an intimate glimpse into Christo’s life, ideas and enduring global legacy, including the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award, which continues to inspire future generations of artists.

19/11/2025

Panel discussion – Sounds and Aesthetics: Arabic as a Source of Inspiration

As part of the Arabian Days Festival and its celebration of World Arabic Language Day, the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF), in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center, presented Sounds and Aesthetics: Arabic as a Source of Inspiration, a panel discussion examining the expressive power of the Arabic language across music, poetry and contemporary creative practice.

15/12/2025