DUBAI, 29th October, 2026 (WAM) -- Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), emphasised that investing in people, empowering creative communities and fostering collaboration are essential to building more sustainable cities. She highlighted the role of culture in shaping urban development, strengthening community connections and creating opportunities for individuals to participate in and contribute to the future of their cities.
Her remarks came during her participation in ‘The Human City: Is Culture the Infrastructure of the Future?’, the opening plenary of the 15th World Cities Culture Summit in Tokyo, Japan, where she joined Diya Vij, Commissioner for Culture, New York City, and Kazuyo Sejima, Principal and Co-Founder at Kazuyo Sejima & Associates and SANAA, in a discussion moderated by Justine Simons, Founder and Chair of the World Cities Culture Forum.
During the session, Badri highlighted the importance of looking beyond economic indicators when assessing the success of cultural cities. While the contribution of culture to employment, economic growth and creative industries remains essential, she emphasised that its social and human impact is equally significant, particularly in fostering a sense of belonging and creating opportunities for creative talent and businesses to reach wider audiences.
Drawing on Dubai's experience, Badri highlighted Mawaheb, an art studio supporting adults of determination, as an example of how cultural investment can extend beyond artistic development to foster confidence, independence and meaningful human connections, while developing capabilities.
Badri also highlighted how Dubai Culture, in collaboration with Dubai Future Foundation, brought together representatives from the creative community, businesses and government. The exchange informed the Creative Sector Resilience Portfolio, bringing together practical initiatives to support creatives and cultural organisations through access to creative spaces, markets, funding and business development opportunities.
She noted that the insights gained through these discussions are informing the priorities of the Dubai Cultural Strategy 2033, particularly efforts to develop policies and initiatives that strengthen the long-term sustainability of creative projects.
In her closing remarks, Badri emphasised that the future of cities is not defined solely by infrastructure or technology, but by the connections people build, their sense of belonging and the opportunities communities have to contribute to their cities' development while preserving their cultural identity.