Arts and Culture in Dubai

Dubai, one of the best known of the seven emirates of the UAE - or the United Arab Emirates - is often considered to be mostly a business hub, where all kinds of commercial, private and pretty influential business work is done. This vision of Dubai tends to overshadow its position as a place where people live and enjoy leisure, though it's just as cultural as anywhere else in the world when it comes to celebrating the arts.



Because of this, Dubai isn't just a business destination - it's also fantastic to visit when it comes to planning your next big holiday too. As something of a centre for arts and culture, you'll never have to search too hard to find excellent museums and galleries, auction houses, antique stores, live music concerts and venues and plenty of other artistic and cultural endeavours. Thanks to the large volume of Indian inhabitants of Dubai, you can also expect a strong influence of Indian culture, particularly in its food, though the bulk of Dubai's more prominent cultural traits - its architecture, lifestyle and attire - are clearly influenced by Arab and Islamic culture. As a predominantly Islamic locale, Dubai acknowledges Muslim culture and Islamic laws, though some of these are bent for non-Muslim visitors from countries such as the UK and USA.

If you really want to get some of Dubai's intimate cultural highs, head to local cafes and diners to enjoy some of the area's most common folk music. Bedouin traditional music often heralds holidays and celebrations and this dynamic, enjoyable music can be heard in various points around Dubai played by local bands. For a little bit of history, you can head to the Dubai Museum to learn all about Dubai, the Emirates and their fascinating past.



Dubai is very much a place that lives in the now, meaning most of the cultural finds you will discover are to be found in its food, music, dress and way of life. Religion is a large part of Dubai locals' lifestyle, and it is possible to glean a lot about Dubai's cultural history simply from the music, food and customs that have survived through the ages to still be practiced today.



Arts and culture fans certainly won't feel like they're missing out during a trip to wonderful Dubai, so why not book a trip and discover the Dubai that business travellers won't tell you about?