The Arab Gulf States and Their Cultural Rise

A quick glance at the developing cultural and artistic landscape in the Gulf countries reveals the colossal resources devoted to a wide range of often lavish and avant-garde projects aimed at promoting art and culture, on bases that may vary from one country to another. A similar enthusiasm is evident across the board, reflecting a shared desire for openness and exchange with the world of culture and art.

All of these projects undoubtedly serve to promote a kind of "cultural diplomacy"—if one can call it that—and to boost the cultural influence of these countries on an international scale. However, it would be a mistake to reduce the achievements already made and those already planned to a mere marketing exercise. Beyond the somewhat grandiose scale of the projects underway, other, far more important motivations are at play.

In societies undergoing profound upheaval, art and culture are drivers of social and political transformation. But they are also, simultaneously, a means of protecting and transmitting a country's know-how, traditions, and cultural heritage. They contribute significantly to strengthening national pride and cementing a sense of belonging. The leaders of the Gulf countries are perfectly aware of this. And their concern for preserving and promoting this cultural identity is perfectly clear in all the projects implemented or under development.

Beyond the issues that could be described, by extension, as geopolitical, art, in societies in transition, is a guardian of memory. It also allows for a smooth and profound change in society. It is the thread that connects the past to the present and the future. To this end, leaders are encouraging avant-garde artistic and cultural projects, while simultaneously emphasizing the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage, traditions, and ancestral know-how.

In a series of articles dedicated to this topic, Levant Time examined the main projects that clearly reflect a desire to transform the Gulf countries into a global cultural and artistic hub and a place for exchange among diverse cultural actors in fields as varied as painting, music, dance, film, and literature. These projects are ambitious and numerous, but the stakes are equally high.

In the current context prevailing in this part of the world and internationally, will these rapidly changing societies succeed in finding a suitable balance between the Islamic-Arab heritage, on the one hand, and the realities of the 21st century, on the other? Will they be able to make a spectacular entrance into the world of tomorrow and initiate an era of artistic and cultural renaissance, like the Italian Renaissance, for example? Will they succeed in their transformation without losing their identity and soul along the way? These are some of the questions that Levant Time will attempt to answer in its series of articles dedicated to major cultural and artistic projects in the various Gulf countries.

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