Three Emirati Talents Bring UAE Music and Art to Global Audiences with ADMAF Support.
Abu Dhabi: Emirati composer Ihab Darwish began his musical journey with an ambitious dream: to hear his original compositions performed by a full symphony orchestra and establish a distinctive Emirati voice on the international classical music stage.
In 2017, he shared his vision with the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF), which helped turn his aspirations into reality. The foundation supported his musical productions, beginning with his debut symphonic album, Waves of My Life, and paving the way for performances on international stages.
Darwish’s compositions bring together influences from diverse cultures, musical traditions and orchestral styles. For him, this fusion reflects the UAE’s values of openness and tolerance while preserving his distinct artistic and cultural identity.
He credits Abu Dhabi as the place where his musical ambitions took shape and found expression. The emirate remains central to his creative journey, inspiring compositions that celebrate cultural identity while building bridges between nations.
“While my music may travel across continents, its soul will always belong to Abu Dhabi,” said Darwish.
For Emirati musician Alkatheeri, the journey into composition began with performing music before she eventually found the confidence to create her own works.
“Moving from playing music to composing my own pieces was a big step,” she said.
A major milestone came in 2024 when she received the Gulf Capital ADMAF Creativity Award. Her compositions, including The Founder’s Legacy, combine music with history, reflecting her desire to celebrate the UAE’s heritage and inspire national pride.
The competition became a turning point in her artistic journey, giving her the confidence to trust her creative instincts and pursue her ambitions.
“I wanted people to feel proud of our country and understand that (His Highness) Sheikh Zayed’s legacy is something we must continue through our own actions,” Alkatheeri said.
Winning the award created new opportunities, including performances at the Abu Dhabi Festival and Expo 2025 Osaka, allowing her music to reach wider international audiences.
Taking on a leadership role at the foundation added another dimension to her journey, strengthening her connection to the institution that had supported her artistic development.
While musicians are taking Emirati creativity to international stages, other young artists in Abu Dhabi are expressing their cultural identity through different forms of art, including jewellery.
Where research meets craftsmanship
For Emirati interdisciplinary artist and jeweller Noura Alserkal, the creative journey began at just nine years old, when she won a drawing competition that helped shape her understanding of herself as an artist.
“I remember feeling, even at that young age, that I was an artist and that my work had importance and relevance,” she recalled.
Today, Alserkal creates jewellery and artworks rooted in personal stories, family history and extensive research.
Her creative process often begins long before she starts working with materials. Inspiration may come from reading a book, exploring historical archives or having a conversation with her parents.
These experiences frequently lead her to investigate her family’s genealogy, revisit childhood memories or explore connections between the past and present.
For Alserkal, the research behind an artwork is just as important as the finished piece. She sees materials not merely as tools for artistic expression but as a means of understanding people, history and the world around her.
“Research and making are not separate processes, they are deeply intertwined,” she said.
Her upcoming exhibition explores her relationship with her father, drawing inspiration from his collection of postage stamps.
“These stamps become a starting point for creating artworks using materials that are entirely different from the original objects,” she explained.
Alserkal also spoke about the uncertainty artists sometimes experience when questioning the significance of their work.
“As artists, we sometimes experience imposter syndrome. We question ourselves, our work, and whether what we are creating has value,” she said.
She credited ADMAF with providing encouragement at a crucial stage in her journey, describing its support as the small but meaningful push that comes from someone who genuinely believes in an artist’s potential.
In 2022, she established TURABI, a jewellery brand that she envisions as something larger than her individual artistic practice.
Through the brand, she also organises workshops to share her knowledge of jewellery-making, encourage creative exploration and introduce more people to the craft.
For Alserkal, teaching is an important part of being an artist, offering opportunities to exchange ideas, question established perspectives and learn from others.
“I believe dialogue is an essential part of artistic practice,” she said.
Through workshops and collaborative experiences, she hopes to create an environment where artists and participants can learn from one another.
“We build a community around making and creativity,” she added.
Taking Emirati creativity to the global stage
Over the past three decades, Abu Dhabi has established itself as a prominent destination for international performances, cultural collaborations and artistic premieres, with the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF) playing a significant role in strengthening the capital’s cultural presence.
“What makes Abu Dhabi truly special is its ability to embrace the world while remaining deeply rooted in its own culture and traditions,” said Darwish.
According to ADMAF, emerging artists in the UAE often encounter three major challenges: limited access to opportunities, gaps in knowledge and a lack of visibility.
To help overcome these barriers, the foundation collaborates with local and international partners, creating platforms for artists to develop their skills, showcase their work and connect with audiences beyond the UAE.
The foundation says these cultural collaborations encourage a two-way exchange of artistic ideas and experiences.
“The exchange runs both ways,” ADMAF said.
The impact of these initiatives has extended to major international cultural venues.
In June 2025, Emirati artists performed at Kensington Palace for the first time during a concert that featured the world premiere of Darwish’s Ruins of Time.
Meanwhile, in Seoul, the exhibition Proximities attracted 80,000 visitors and showcased works by 47 UAE-based artists, including 33 Emiratis, according to ADMAF.
For artists such as Darwish, Alkatheeri and Alserkal, Abu Dhabi represents far more than the place where their creative journeys began. It is a city where personal inspiration can develop into artistic achievements that reach audiences around the world.
Whether it is a father’s stamp collection inspiring an exhibition, a young musician finding the confidence to compose or a composer’s ambition to perform with a symphony orchestra, their stories reflect the opportunities available to emerging Emirati talent.
By supporting creativity while maintaining strong cultural roots, Abu Dhabi is helping artists share their heritage with international audiences without compromising their identities.
For this new generation of Emirati creatives, local traditions and global ambitions are not competing paths, but complementary forces shaping their artistic futures.
