Dubai: Over half a million UAE residents, tourists visited museums, heritage sites in 2021

Cultural assets have shown remarkable recovery post-pandemic: Dubai Culture

Dubai's cultural assets, including museums, heritage sites and public libraries, attracted more than 521,000 visitors in 2021.

Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) revealed numbers on Tuesday, saying the performance of its cultural assets in Dubai showed a remarkable recovery following a challenging year imposed by the repercussions of Covid-19 on the world.

In 2021, the total number of visits to these sites was 521,753; heritage sites topped the list, recording 50 per cent of total visitors, followed by libraries, with 39 per cent, and museums at 11 per cent.

A press release from Dubai Culture said a survey conducted by Dubai showed that museums, heritage sites and public libraries in Dubai continue to see visits from UAE citizens, residents and tourists.

Muna Faisal Algurg, director of the museums' department and acting CEO of the culture and heritage sector at Dubai Culture, said the government department adopted an effective methodology in dealing with the challenges through digital offerings such as virtual tours and workshops activities, and educational lectures across those sites.

"Following the lockdown period, Dubai Culture succeeded in reigniting the cultural movement in the emirate and keeping the audience in touch with the history of Dubai and its cultural landmarks," he explained.

'Visits to Dubai's cultural sites are on a path of full recovery'

Algurg indicated that the performance of museums and heritage sites in the Emirate is on its path towards a full recovery when the world's museums are still suffering from the repercussions of the pandemic.

According to a report issued by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 90 per cent of the world's museums closed their doors during the pandemic, and 13 per cent were at risk of closing permanently.

Algurg explained, "At Dubai Culture, we seek to enhance the value of exploring the history and highlighting its importance in moving towards the future."

Dr Saeed Mubarak bin Kharbash, CEO of the arts and literature sector at Dubai Culture, assured the department's commitment to developing and modernising Dubai's public libraries. He said initiatives such as the 'Reading Box Initiative' and the summer and winter camps would encourage reading habits among residents.

The sixth edition of the 'Reading Box' project was held in March 2021, coinciding with the National Reading Month under the slogan 'My family reads.'

Total number of visitors to heritage sites: 259,216

Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood: 153,807 visitors

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com