US-UAE Cultural Diplomacy Exchange Program: Cultural Diplomacy At Work In Galleries & Museums

Meridian has completed a week-long delegation trip to the United Arab Emirates, where top-level museum directors, curators, board members, and private collectors from around the United States experienced firsthand the flourishing museum infrastructure of the UAE and how it has helped develop a vibrant arts culture and a diverse population of global citizens.

In partnership with the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Washington, D.C., Meridian developed a multi-city cultural program in the UAE that provided the American delegation members a better appreciation of the UAE’s commitment to cultural identity while emphasizing the importance of global partnerships and bilateral collaborations. This delegation traveled to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah, where they visited the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Sharjah Museums Authority, and Etihad Museum in Dubai. Additional stops included visits and meetings with private collections, foundations, tourism attractions, and creative spaces, such as Alserkal Avenue in Dubai and the Dubai Design District, which highlight the emerging private art gallery scene and the creative energy coming out of the UAE today. The cultural tour concluded with a roundtable forum led by Meridian and hosted by New York University in Abu Dhabi, in which members of the delegation and UAE cultural leaders discussed the importance of global partnerships and how such collaborations can lead to cross-cultural understanding.