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Culture Summit Abu Dhabi Announces New Theme

The summit will examine opportunities to renew the cultural and creative industries in a post-COVID environment and explore how the creative economy can be a positive force for societies and economies - WAM
The summit will examine opportunities to renew the cultural and creative industries in a post-COVID environment and explore how the creative economy can be a positive force for societies and economies - WAM
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Culture Summit Abu Dhabi Announces New Theme

The summit will examine opportunities to renew the cultural and creative industries in a post-COVID environment and explore how the creative economy can be a positive force for societies and economies - WAM
The summit will examine opportunities to renew the cultural and creative industries in a post-COVID environment and explore how the creative economy can be a positive force for societies and economies - WAM

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has announced that the next edition of Culture Summit Abu Dhabi, a global forum which explores creative cultural solutions to the most pressing issues affecting the world today, will take place virtually from 8th to 10th March, and explore the theme of ‘The Cultural Economy and the Economy of Culture’.

The fourth edition of the forum will bring together cultural leaders, practitioners and experts from the fields of art, heritage, museums, media and technology to generate new strategies and thinking, and identify ways in which culture can transform societies and communities worldwide, state news agency (WAM) reported.

"The global challenges of the past year have truly demonstrated the vital power of culture to improve our personal and collective wellbeing. Yet, cultural institutions worldwide continue to struggle to achieve funding structures to continue operating. It is now more important than ever to shed light on the critical role that the culture sector plays as an essential driver of sustainable economic and social development," said Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi.

"We are proud to collaborate with top global cultural partners to convene renowned professionals from a variety of fields, ensuring the level and breadth of expertise needed for fruitful discussions and effective, goal-oriented outcomes." he noted.

"This year’s theme strongly reflects the focus on culture and creative industries as a major driver of growth."

For his part, Saood Al Hosani, Under-Secretary of DCT Abu Dhabi, said the Culture Summit’s annual convening of world-class experts and professionals from interrelated fields consistently puts forward innovative solutions in response to critical cultural and economic issues.

"Following a year of truly unprecedented challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, we look forward to the dialogue and innovations sparked by our esteemed global partners and participants at the event’s virtual fourth edition, as we discuss ways to support the continuity of the cultural sector, both locally and worldwide."

The summit will examine opportunities to renew the cultural and creative industries in a post-COVID environment and explore how the creative economy can be a positive force for societies and economies.

Existing partners include UNESCO, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, the Economist Events, and Google.

New partners for 2021 include the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the Design Museum London, and the participation of UAE institutions such as Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Berklee Abu Dhabi, Institut Français, Image Nation Abu Dhabi, twofour54, and Abu Dhabi Film Commission.

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London's Natural History Museum Reopens Hall Closed for 83 Years

The skeleton of a blue whale hanging from the ceiling in the Hintze Hall at the Natural History Museum in London, England (Natural History Museum)
The skeleton of a blue whale hanging from the ceiling in the Hintze Hall at the Natural History Museum in London, England (Natural History Museum)
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London's Natural History Museum Reopens Hall Closed for 83 Years

The skeleton of a blue whale hanging from the ceiling in the Hintze Hall at the Natural History Museum in London, England (Natural History Museum)
The skeleton of a blue whale hanging from the ceiling in the Hintze Hall at the Natural History Museum in London, England (Natural History Museum)

A gallery that has remained closed to the public since World War Two is to reopen at London's Natural History Museum next month, according to BBC.

The gallery, which has remained hidden from view since 1943, will reopen from September 16, featuring 50 objects which show our evolving relationship with the natural world.

The exhibition, named Nature and Us, is part of a transformation project called NHM150, which aims to open a new or revamped showcase every year until the museum's 150th anniversary in 2031.

Dr. Doug Gurr, director of the NHM, said: “For the first time in over 80 years, visitors will be able to step into this beautiful historic space and explore our changing relationship with the natural world.”

The museum describes the display as “experimental” during the initial 18-month period, with visitors invited to share their views on what they would like to see in the permanent gallery, which is due to open in 2029.

The exhibition is located on the second floor of the museum's main Waterhouse Building. It was originally used as an osteology and mammals gallery.

However, after the museum's original herbarium was damaged during World War Two, the space was repurposed to house the botanical collections and closed to the public.

Among the key specimens on display is a miniature model of a Crystal Palace dinosaur, alongside other objects that show how early scientists and artists understood the prehistoric world.

Other items include a Victorian skeleton of a monk seal named Jenny, highlighting how wild animals were once exploited for entertainment, as well as the jaw of one of Britain's earliest known domesticated dogs, dating back about 14,300 years.

The Natural History Museum in South Kensington is free to visit and open seven days a week.

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The Sunhat is Everywhere in Athens as Crowds Grow Larger at Ancient Sites

Tourists wearing hats take photographs on the rocky Areios Pagos Hill next to the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
Tourists wearing hats take photographs on the rocky Areios Pagos Hill next to the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
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The Sunhat is Everywhere in Athens as Crowds Grow Larger at Ancient Sites

Tourists wearing hats take photographs on the rocky Areios Pagos Hill next to the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
Tourists wearing hats take photographs on the rocky Areios Pagos Hill next to the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Outside the Acropolis, a sea of hats bobs up and down the hill to the ancient site: straw boaters, Panama hats, baseball caps and bucket hats in the relentless heat.

Hat racks are hard to miss in central Athens this summer. Kiosks and stores keep outdoor stands piled high as more tourists seek relief from the midday heat.

The Acropolis drew about 4.6 million visitors in 2025, a record year for Greek tourism. Many spend hours in mid-30s Celsius (mid-90s Fahrenheit) temperatures with little shade. Even a carriage horse at the foot of the ancient monument has joined in, sporting a brown bucket hat with holes cut for its ears.

“You need a hat. I’m already red as it is,” said Jack Yosif, an Australian tourist wearing a black baseball cap. “It’s a bit more of a common thing nowadays, and people are a bit more aware.”

Scorching temperatures didn't deter a record 38 million visitors last year, the most recent for which there is data. The combination of extreme heat and high demand for sites — which means not everyone can visit in the morning — is adding urgency to sun protection.

Greek health campaigners have welcomed a growing awareness of the dangers of ultraviolet exposure and risk of heat stroke. Red Cross volunteers at the Acropolis hand out kits with sunscreen, water, information leaflets and red caps, The Associated Press reported.

Hats are displayed alongside materials using in their production on hangers and shelves at a shop in Athens, Greece, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

On nearby Syntagma Square, kiosk owner Konstantinos Mallios says hat sales have risen in recent years. His stylish and souvenir models run up to 20 euros ($24) while the cheapest costs 6 euros. Available elsewhere is semi-disposable headgear: mass-produced hats made using compressed paper pulp.

And there are more ostentatious options. At her basement workshop, hatmaker Lisa Sarigiannidou turns straw braids into boaters using century-old presses and molds in a matter of minutes. Her hats start at around 50 euros, with elaborate designs costing more than 100 euros.

“People’s attitudes toward hats have changed,” said Sarigiannidou, who was trained by her hatmaker father. “In the past, when a young woman tried on a hat and looked at herself in the mirror, she usually laughed. Now they try them on seriously ... and they wear them straight out the door.”

Varieties

King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Highlights Two Distinctive Native Shrubs

The King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Royal Natural Reserve (SPA).
The King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Royal Natural Reserve (SPA).
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King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Highlights Two Distinctive Native Shrubs

The King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Royal Natural Reserve (SPA).
The King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Royal Natural Reserve (SPA).

King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve is distinguished by its unique natural plant diversity and its captivating natural features, highlighted by distinctive plants that add exceptional beauty to its various environments. Among the most prominent plant features found across most areas of the reserve are Al-Rmath (Haloxylon salicornicum) and Al-Qaisum (white wormwood).

Al-Rmath is a perennial shrub in the family Amaranthaceae and is widespread throughout most of the reserve.

According to SPA, it can reach a height of 120 centimeters and is characterized by bluish-green stems that turn gray with age, as well as scale-like leaves and tiny yellow flowers.

Al-Qaisum is also a perennial aromatic shrub belonging to the Asteraceae family. It grows in clay flats, valleys, ravines, and most areas of the reserve.

It can reach a height of 60 centimeters and is distinguished by its white stems, oval to oblong leaves with serrated edges, and small yellow flowers.