Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo reflects on heritage, creativity and the growing role of young Emirati women in shaping the UAE’s cultural future.
Abu Dhabi: Emirati women have long played a central role in preserving the UAE’s cultural identity, while increasingly shaping the country’s modern creative and cultural landscape, according to Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) and Founder and Artistic Director of the Abu Dhabi Festival.
Speaking to Gulf News on the occasion of Emirati Women’s Day, Alkhamis-Kanoo reflected on the role of women in protecting cultural heritage, the influence of the Mother of the Nation, Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, and the growing contribution of young Emirati women to the arts and creative industries.
Emirati women as custodians of heritage
Alkhamis-Kanoo said Emirati women were preserving culture long before formal cultural institutions existed in the UAE.
“In seafaring and Bedouin communities, they carried much more than the household: they managed trade and land while the men were away, and they kept what you cannot store materially: language, memory, poetry and hospitality, which are a culture in themselves,” she said.
Today, Emirati women are active across a wide range of sectors.
Alkhamis-Kanoo credited the UAE’s leadership and Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak with creating opportunities that have allowed women to expand their roles while remaining connected to their cultural roots.
She said Sheikha Fatima’s influence extends beyond supporting women’s empowerment. Her own example has shown Emirati women that ambition and confidence can coexist with a strong connection to heritage.
A cultural journey that began in 1996
Alkhamis-Kanoo’s own contribution to the UAE’s cultural landscape began with the establishment of ADMAF in 1996.
She said her inspiration came from the vision that shaped Abu Dhabi and the UAE.
“Even though culture was not ‘in fashion’ in 1996, a lover of music and the arts like me felt empowered by Abu Dhabi,” she said.
She also recalled the influence of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his vision of culture as an important part of the country’s identity.
“I had faith in God, in the vision of Sheikh Zayed and in the power of music to connect hearts. And that is how I started ADMAF,” she said.
Looking back, Alkhamis-Kanoo described her role as that of a connector between artists and opportunities.
“My role, really, has been to be a bridge. A bridge is important. But it is not the story. The story belongs to those who cross the bridge and share what they carry,” she said.
“We emerge stronger and better”
Reflecting on this year’s Emirati Women’s Day theme, “We Emerge Stronger and Better,” Alkhamis-Kanoo said it captures the resilience and progress of Emirati women.
“Pioneering requires resilience,” she said.
Being among the first to establish a cultural institution could sometimes feel isolating, she added, but the UAE’s support provided the confidence to continue.
She identified three qualities that stand out among the next generation of Emirati women: sincerity, courage and fluency.
Young Emirati women, she said, are willing to take risks while moving comfortably between their heritage and modern digital spaces.
“They are rooted in their heritage, yet connected to the world,” she said.
Culture gives the UAE a global voice.
Alkhamis-Kanoo believes culture and the arts can help the UAE communicate its identity internationally.
“Culture is where the story of a nation lives. And to tell your own story is a form of sovereignty,” she said.
She described Emirati women as increasingly important voices for the UAE on the international cultural and artistic stage.
“In a fragmented world, culture remains the only language in which we can disagree and still stay curious about one another,” she said.
For her, cultural exchange is therefore not simply about showcasing Emirati heritage abroad. It is also about creating opportunities for dialogue between different societies.
Women shaping the creative economy.
As the UAE’s creative economy expands, Alkhamis-Kanoo said opportunities for women go well beyond working as artists.
The sector needs producers, curators, administrators, lawyers, technicians, funders and policymakers, she said.
“Women in the UAE are already running programs, festivals, institutions, and budgets,” Alkhamis-Kanoo said.
She wants women to continue bringing their expertise to every part of the creative economy, particularly the areas that determine how cultural projects are structured and delivered.
“I hope that women keep on bringing their talent to all those facets of the creative economy, because whoever builds the structure and decides what happens inside it,” she said.
She also called for greater investment in culture as the UAE continues to develop its creative industries.
“The greatest opportunity is to build. And to those who fund our future, I repeat what I always say: invest in culture as you invest in infrastructure. All bridges matter.”
Source: Gulf News
