DUBA - The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), closed the curtain on the first edition of the one day ‘Dubai Festival for Youth Music’, which it organised.

There was immense competition among the artistic talent participating in the festival, through which the authority confirms its commitment to nurturing and discovering young creatives and enhancing Dubai’s grassroots music sector.

Dubai Culture held the ceremony at the Mohammed bin Rashid Library, in the presence of Dr. Saeed Mubarak bin Kharbash, CEO of the Arts & Literature Sector, and Fatma Al Jallaf, Acting Director of the Performing Arts Department at Dubai Culture, and the jury members, in addition to the musician and artist Eid Al-Faraj, who was awarded ‘Musical Personality of the Year’, in appreciation of his long artistic career and his contributions to the local arts scene.

Dr. Saeed affirmed the importance of the opportunities offered by the Dubai Festival for Youth Music, and said, “Music is a civilised way to deepen understanding between members of society. Through this festival, Dubai Culture affirms its commitment to providing support for creative talent in various artistic and cultural fields, and the opportunities they need to enable them to express their abilities and artistry.”

He pointed out that the organisation of this festival is part of Dubai Culture's leadership of the emirate’s artistic movement of Dubai, in line with the authority's vision aimed at strengthening Dubai's position as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity and a thriving hub for talent.

Fatima Al-Jallaf indicated that the festival contributes to supporting young creatives and pumping new blood into the local music scene. She said, “Dubai has always been - and continues to be - an important destination for musicians, which has contributed to the creation of a sustainable artistic environment capable of advancing this sector, which forms one of the foundations of the creative economy, that Dubai aspires to be the global capital of by 2026.”

More than 70 young men and women unleashed their musical creativity, as they took turns playing various musical compositions. These were scrutinised by the festival jury members of Dr. Mohammad Hamami, artist Tariq Al-Minhali and musician Tala Badri. The competition included five categories to raise the level of performance among the young talent competing for the awards. Najma Al-Kour won the award for best vocals, while Hussein Nofal won the award for best Arabic playing (oud instrument), Naram Rashid picked up the award for best classical playing (violin), and Victoria Demi claimed the best piano performance award. The Hand Pan Orchestra, led by Anas Halabi, also won Best Integrated Musical Ensemble.

The festival witnessed musicianship presented by Dr. Mohammed Hamami, the head of the jury, in addition to Noura Abdel Salam and Talib Khaled Mohamed Hammadi from the Zayed Education Complex. There were additional on-stage appearances led by Malak Omar Alloush and Ahmed Al-Moussawi by autistic children.

The Dubai Festival for Youth Music, an annual event organised by Dubai Culture in November, is the first local event targeting the youth in music, and through it the authority seeks to fulfil its commitments in discovering young musical talent.