Can we now call Dubai a culture hub?

With its bright lights and rising skyline, Dubai has been hailed as a city of the future. A city of finance, of multinationals, of entrepreneurs. A city of business.

But a city of culture? Not so readily. Until now.

With the imminent arrival of Dubai Opera at the end of August, the emirate has finally found its footing as a hotspot for the creative arts.

World stars including opera legend Placido Domingo, Anoushka Shankar and flamenco dancer Sara Baras will take to the stage in the opera house’s first season, creating a surge of interest in cultural performances, initiatives, programmes and venues.

It represents the next step in Dubai’s plans to become a cultural hub, providing depth to its creative ambitions that extend beyond music and dance to literature, theatre, film, visual arts and more.

As well as the existing Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Dubai Film Festival, art fairs, independent cinemas and theatres, there are upcoming projects that will add an extra layer.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Library announced earlier this year and the growing presence of the Dubai Design District, for example, bring extra dimensions – and legacies – benefitting potentially millions of people in the years to come.

The emirate’s emergence as a cultural centre is also sure to benefit its neighbours and their assets. The Louvre and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Sharjah Biennial, the Qasr Al Hosn Festival and even Qatar Opera House are examples of events and attractions that could garner stronger followings.

But while there are clear social, creative and emotional benefits to a thriving arts and culture scene, there are other reasons to be excited by the prospect of such a rich environment.

Culture, you see, is big business. As a tourist attraction, it is a huge draw and always has been. Throughout history