Antonia Carver
Director, Jameel Arts Centre
Jameel Arts Centre fosters and promotes contemporary art, cultural heritage protection, and creative entrepreneurship across the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond. First, we make sure international audiences have access to modern and contemporary Middle Eastern artists. Second, the center is working to build opportunities for artists in the Middle East. Our partnerships with London’s Victoria and Albert Museum and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art provide Middle Eastern artists with a space in two of the world’s most-visited museums. We have schools in Cairo and Jeddah to train young people in the skills needed for city restoration. The Jameel House of Traditional Arts in Jeddah’s Old City teaches Saudi artisans age-old craftsmanship with a contemporary spin. Jameel Arts Centre is our first institution, and we have tripled the number of visitors we originally projected. Over the last 15 years, the world’s understanding of the importance of art from the Middle East has changed. Dubai has curated an environment that attracts talent and people who are hungry for culture. It is a hub in Africa and the Middle East for business and now for art.
Tala Badri
Executive Director, Centre for Musical Arts
We create a structure that supports students and keeps them away from unhealthy activities. We support education and youth, both areas of focus in the national vision. However, there are fewer areas of focus in the vision that are culture-driven. We play a role in supporting the artistic interests of students. We were approached by the Ministry of Education for its masterpieces program, because its focus is music. As such, we will run our own workshop, exposing orchestras, ensembles, and composers. We hope to use these platforms to build an entry into the state school system that allow us to run band programs. The kids that we work with generally come from middle-lass and upper-class backgrounds, but we are interested in doing projects in places where children do not have the same opportunities. We are currently collaborating with the Palestinian Children Relief Fund (PCRF), which works to medically support children from war-torn areas. We are also support the Maria Cristina Foundation and provide assistance for children with special needs, especially autistic children. As this is a personal issue for me, we put a lot of support and outreach in this area.
Faiza Bouguessa
Creative Director & Founder, Faiza Bouguessa
Bouguessa is a contemporary ready-to-wear brand that focuses on projecting a positive image of the woman’s body. The brand reflects my vision of fashion, which aims to offer a minimalist wardrobe focused on the architecture of the garment and reflecting my passion for art, architecture, and modern design. Bouguessa is, first and foremost, a brand that caters to strong and fearless women. During the development stage of my collections, I design my products with the intent of making it a tool for women to express their confidence. As for my relationship to Dubai, I feel most at home in Dubai since I have lived here for so many years; it was only natural that I would launch the brand here. I also love the vision of the people and leaders in the UAE who are always looking forward to the future. I apply this vision to my work, as we constantly look for innovative ideas and new ways to communicate that vision. I often find inspiration within different industries and I try to apply these new concepts to the brand to create a unique and progressive experience.
Patrick Tillieux
CEO, OSN
Not all areas in the region can be reached by phone or cable, and there are still many spots in the region where the best way to access TV is by satellite. It is true today, and it will hold true for the next five to 10 years. Also, satellite TV offers a tremendous amount of different channels. In addition, the picture quality will always be better from a satellite. One advantage of consuming online is that you can consume in a nonlinear way, anytime you want. The best would be to have both worlds, and that exists. Users can access satellite television through a connected box that connects to the internet where it is available. The amount of content that consumers can access has never been better. This makes content affordable because everyone can have different content and nobody has it all. Everyone can specialize in something specific. Our content strategy is simple. We aggregate lots of different content and focus on providing the best. Adopting new technologies and innovations is a constant process. We want to make sure we stay on top of innovation and keep reminding ourselves about that.
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