Culture Summit Abu Dhabi postponed as mourning period for Sheikh Khalifa declared

The annual three-day event will be held at a later date, organisers said

Speakers scheduled to speak at this year's Culture Summit Abu Dhabi include Trevor Noah and Frank Gehry. PA Photo

Culture Summit Abu Dhabi, the annual event bringing together leaders from the fields of art, heritage, museums, media and technology, has been postponed following the death of Sheikh Khalifa, President of the UAE.

New dates for the event, which had been scheduled to take place from Monday to Wednesday at Manarat Al Saadiyat, will be announced soon, the Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi, said.

The postponement comes in line with an announcement by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, stating that there will be an official mourning period of 40 days with flags to fly at half-staff, as well as three days of closure of ministries and official entities at the federal and local levels, and the private sector.

This year’s Culture Summit Abu Dhabi's theme is A Living Culture.

Comedian and The Daily Show host Trevor Noah was one of the guest speakers scheduled to speak at the opening day on Monday. The South African comic is a familiar face in the UAE, having performed stand-up or been a guest at events in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. He was most recently seen hosting last month's Grammy Awards, but is perhaps best known for his political commentary segments on The Daily Show.

Other guests include Malawi's first female president Joyce Banda; renowned architect Frank Gehry; Noura Al Kaabi, the UAE's Minister of Culture and Youth; and DCT Abu Dhabi chairman Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak.

Polish artist Agnieszka Kurant, whose installations were exhibited in prestigious venues such as New York's Solomon R Guggenheim Museum and last year's Venice Biennale 12th International Architecture Exhibition, will also be present, joining Grammy Award-winning Panamanian pianist and educator Danilo Perez, who will lead a discussion on cultural diversity and music education.

Some of the topics to be discussed include the growth of digital content during the pandemic, and how cultural and creative industries can play an increasingly powerful role in championing and fostering inclusion in a globalised world.

Updates on the Culture Summit Abu Dhabi can be found on culturesummitabudhabi.com.