Dubai is now an artistic powerhouse

The Dubai Opera — which opened its doors to the world for the first time last night — is more than just an attractive new venue. It’s the moment in which Dubai cements its place among the artistic powerhouse cities of the world, alongside the likes of Paris, Moscow, and Vienna. Already, the impressive 2,000-seat venue has attracted some of the biggest acts in the world, ranging from Placido Domingo to the Russian State Ballet and popular Arabic singer Hussain Al Jassmi. The line-up, and the adaptable venue itself, is unique among other such venues around the world in that they represent the rich diversity of the audience that it will serve. The Opera, of course, is just the beginning of this transformation, which will begin with Downtown Dubai, which will soon be further strengthened by the opening of Guggenheim and Louvre museums in Abu Dhabi. Given the relative youth of the UAE, the dedication with which the country’s leadership has worked to offer these opportunities to the people of UAE — whether they are Emiratis or expats — is commendable, and should be appreciated by all.

In less than five decades, they’ve managed to put the city on par with cities that have had a much longer headstart on the road to cultural greatness. August 31, 2016, will be forever remembered as the beginning of a new era in Dubai’s history. Aside from the obvious benefit of having a new — and very different — set of entertainment options, there will be a new sort of tourist, a new sort of expat, and new images that come to mind when the name “Dubai” is mentioned abroad. Those of us who are fortunate enough to be in Dubai should take advantage of the fact that we have an opportunity to be involved in a special opportunity — the sort of which perhaps only comes along every few years – to take part in Dubai’s history, even if only as a spectator.