Culture has long been known to add massive value to society, whether from a human standpoint or a more economical one. The Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival was founded to elevate the emirate, and each year we are seeing the benefits in terms of employment, connection of people to its heritage and culture, and to the economy.
It is no small feat that we are reaching our 10th year – and in the midst of an ongoing pandemic. We have seen that the arts offer a means of expression for people living through adversity and trauma, and in times of greater social distancing, it is a pathway for unity. Art has no language and unites humanity as one.
Not only does the festival help us to showcase the vast talent amongst Emiratis, propelling them onto the world stage, but it has also enabled us to show the unity between humanity. As well as partnerships with the US Mission to the UAE and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, this year, we are hosting the first collective exhibition of Israeli artists.
These partnerships are a significant feat reflecting a changing region and the UAE’s focus on global collaboration and goodwill.
It is not enough to simply offer the legislation and infrastructure for foreign investment such as Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone’s dual licence structure, which allows investors to operate in both free zone and mainland jurisdictions. We must have a more holistic societal network to attract people to come, of which culture is a leading part.
Recent research in the EU found that the cultural and creative industries make up 4.5 percent of the world’s GDP and are forecast to grow 10 percent per year. The cultural sector is growing faster than the manufacturing and service industries, among others, and we must recognise it as part of our economic future.
The leading sector for growth and employment in the EU, it currently provides 8.3m jobs and EUR558bn in revenue in the EU, the third biggest employer, providing 2.5 times more jobs than car makers and employing more young people than any other sector.
It is amongst a cultural landscape that we can foster creativity which is the very heart of how we grow start-ups, entrepreneurship, and innovation. The festival is the coming together of old and new – fostering growth and innovation while rooted in and inspired by our heritage.
Each of the seven emirates is unique and has authentic offerings that cannot be found anywhere else, so the Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival is one of those attractions for all ages and interests where we engage the community while engaging the world.
The festival has been a critical part of the social, cultural and community fabric of the emirate as we diversify into the UAE’s next 50 years. Its growth has been a reflection of the hunger for this in the community. We started with 20 artworks, and now we’re presenting more than 150, which shows the international exposure we are getting.
We’ve offered visibility to local talent and shown to international artists that we are an attractive place to display. The synergy of the emirate’s growth strategy across factors such as tourism and international business has been an enormous push to the whole eco-system for business and economic growth in Ras Al Khaimah. Each component of this strategy compliments the other.
Because of the festival, artists bring their families and friends, and this exposure is good marketing for the emirate. However, this is not only a positive for the emirate but shows the country’s wider push to put culture at the forefront of its development plans.
The festival is not only a hub for artists, but has become an opportunity to network with art buyers and showcase new hotels, and good partnerships come from this synergy, such as when art is displayed in hotels around the emirate.
A lot of artists have opened up within the RAK Economic Zone with artists and photographer licences, for example, and many are opening retail spaces. We try to support people in this endeavour by offering cheaper business licences than other emirates.
We are also inviting a lot of key stakeholders such as banks, big corporations, and hotels to help artists get support from within the system. We want to attract more businesses and connect them to the likes of the RAK Economic Zone, the tourism authority, and really promote this cross-platform collaboration.
As a free event, which even in 2021 received more than 13,000 visitors, it has shown the importance of culture in economic growth. Those 13,000 visitors come from around the UAE and abroad, and this is the chance to attract people who may never have got to experience the beauty of our magical emirate. This is the most organic form of marketing we could wish for.
For the community of Ras Al Khaimah, the festival is having an important impact. When the young generation of the emirate attends, they can see how much art can impact, inspiring a new generation, showing that it is a viable future for today’s kids, and changing perceptions of art as a career among Emirati families.
With over 50 nationalities of artists taking part, the festival embodies the essence of the UAE. Art does not have a language, it connects across cultures which is the very essence of business in the UAE.
Suqrat bin Bisher, director, RAK Fine Arts Festival
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