Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, recently met with members of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), including ICOM President Dr. Emma Nardi and Director General Medea S. Ekner, at Dubai’s Etihad Museum.
The gathering, held during the ICOM 2024 International Symposium in Dubai, also included ICOM UAE Chair Nasir Al Darmaki.
Sheikha Latifa expressed gratitude for ICOM’s dedication to museums worldwide, affirming Dubai’s commitment to this mission: “Dubai is proud to partner with ICOM, supporting museums as guardians of cultural heritage. Together, we aim to make museums more than just preservation spaces; we want them to be hubs for cultural exchange and learning, impacting future generations and inspiring global cultural connections.”
Dubai will host the 27th ICOM General Conference in 2025, marking the first time it will take place in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia regions. This highlights Dubai’s status as a leading cultural and creative hub. Sheikha Latifa assured that Dubai Culture is fully committed to making this conference impactful for the museum sector both locally and globally.
She also spoke about Dubai’s vision to work with ICOM long-term, even beyond 2025, focusing on regional best practices, cultural exchanges, youth training, and skill-building programs.
The ICOM General Conference in Dubai is set to welcome over 4,000 museum professionals from around the world. In 2021, ICOM-UAE, along with Dubai Culture, Dubai Municipality, and Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, successfully bid to host this major event.
With more than 53,000 members across 130 countries and over 20,000 museums, ICOM plays a central role in supporting the global cultural sector.
