Presented under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development. Celebrate UAE National Day in the Year of Tolerance with a beautiful evening under the stars. Poets, spoken word artists, musicians, and storytellers celebrate the cultural diversity of the place we call home, the UAE. As part of UAE National Day, Hekayah | The Story is free and open to all; note that online ticket registration is required.

Emirati spoken word artist Salem Al Attas, hosts the evening along with 10 exceptionally talented artists whose work speaks to heritage and identity. See the artist lineup below. Bring your family and friends, relax on the majlis or seats, and enjoy an evening rich in talent and heritage.

The lineup for the 5th annual Hekayah | The Story is:

  • Maitha AlSuwaidi – Spoken word poet (UAE)
  • Mohammed Bafoory – Emirati rock (UAE)
  • Joey Bui – Fiction writer / prose – (Vietnam / Australia)
  • Tishani Doshi – Award-winning poet, novelist, & dancer (India)
  • Fafa – Pop, soul, blues, & jazz (UAE / Honduras)
  • Hakeem Kemet – Spoken word poet (USA)
  • Baljit Kumar – Singer (India)
  • Emirati al Malid – Traditional Emirati heritage, & spiritual ensemble (UAE)
  • Zoe Patterson – Poet (Canada/UAE)
  • Vamika Sinha – Poet, prose, & city writer (Botswana)

The lineup of performers has been selected through a collaborative curatorial process, by key players in the cultural, poetry, arts, and writing communities across the UAE, including: Bill Bragin, Deborah Williams, Deepak Unnikrishnan, Dorian Paul Rodgers, Mohamed Alhashimi, and Aathma Nirmala Dious.

Join our events mailing lists

Always be the first to know about what's going on in our community. Sign up for one of our newsletters and receive information on a wide variety of events such as exhibition, lectures, films, art performances, discussions and conferences.

Join The Arts Center events mailing list Join The Institute events mailing list Join The Art Gallery events mailing list Join The StartAD events mailing list