Cultural dialogue is the alternative regional narrative

▶ The forthcoming festivals across the Middle East are about much more than entertainment

From Marrakech and Amman to Cairo, Baalbek and Carthage, it is the time of year when stages shine with performances that celebrate the cultural diversity of the world and of the region. A region where, so often, destruction and death overshadow the beauty and richness of a longstanding love for culture.

But come summer, culture takes centre stage in the Roman temples of Bacchus and Jupiter in Lebanon, in the Roman amphitheatre of Amman and on the modern stages of national theatres across Arab countries. Despite the instabilities that the region is facing, music, arts and culture remain of great significance to the people of the Middle East.

In the UAE, festival season begins when the weather starts to cool down, bringing a variety of beats and rhythms to the capital. A line-up of Arab and western artists graces the stages of the capital from November until April, from rock and jazz to classical music festivals and performing arts. The acclaimed Iraqi oud virtuoso Naseer Shamma plays the tunes of this diversity year after year in Abu Dhabi, joined by artists and poets from around the world, in a stylistic fusion, proving that music can unite us all. The Dubai Opera reflects the core part that culture plays in the Gulf. Putting the spotlight on various performances, from Hussein Al Jasmi to The Marriage of Figaro.

Promoting acceptance of the other through cultural exposure and dialogue is paramount to spreading tolerance. How? Simply because one can only fight the darkness with light, death with life, and radicalism with diversity and enlightenment.