• Home
• /
• UAE

UAE: New Serbian cultural centre opens in Mall of the Emirates

The centre will provide language classes, information and support for those in need, as well as opportunities for business networking and collaboration

A Serbian Cultural Centre has been inaugurated in the UAE as a step towards strengthening Emirati-Serbian relations.

The Serbian Cultural Centre “Taraba” has been opened at the Mall of the Emirates Theatre.

The recent inauguration saw the presence of top officials from the UAE as well as a number of Serbian businessmen.

Apart from serving as a cultural hub, the center will also provide essential services to the Serbian and Ex Yu community in Dubai. This includes language classes, information and support for those in need, and opportunities for business networking and collaboration.

Yasser Al Gergawi, Chairman of Dubai National Theatre, referred to the importance of culture for rapprochement between people.

He said, “The mutual extension of knowledge and the historical handshake between peoples and generations, and the opening of the Serbian Cultural Centre in Dubai is only evidence of this beautiful tolerance, as it opens the Emirati and Serbian cultures to each other on the one hand, and to the rest of the cultures present on the land of the Emirates on the other hand.”

He added, "We are in dire need to understand [people who] are associated with us in spirit, and are consistent with us in their vision to bring historical, cultural, cognitive and aesthetic distances closer." Also, the presence of the Serbian Cultural Centre in Dubai will give it the opportunity to introduce everything related to Serbs, through the centre’s participation in activities and events related to presenting their cultural perspective on various levels, which will allow space for dialogue and discussion, and joint and mutual cultural knowledge, which is tantamount to promoting class, elegan[ce] and modern[ity], as well as a desire to highlight the Serbian details in the Emirati environment.”

He also expressed his desire to see the center have an important role in activating local and non-local cultural partnerships, through plans for interactive cultural programmes with the Emirati environment.

“People are thirsty to know each other, and cultural centres are only the bridge crossing towards other cultures, especially as we move forward to the future with human comfort, so that future generations are not isolated from other cultures in the world,” added Gergawi.

Aleksandra Brankovic, President and founder of the Serbian Cultural Center noted, "'Taraba' is [the] Serbian word for fence: a symbol of home, family, and security, and a place where neighbours gather to chat and socialise.”

The Culture Centere Taraba will be a hub of activity, offering a wide range of cultural events and programmes for people of all ages. From traditional dance, music performances and theatre plays, to exhibits showcasing Serbian art and history, the centre will provide a diverse range of experiences for the community and will host days of other cultures as well.

She added, “The idea of having a centre like this is not only to be a place where we keep our traditions; it is not only a place that connects the Serbian community in the UAE through art, culture, and business; it is a place where the Serbian and the Ex-Yu community as a whole will share culture as a contribution to coexistence with 202 other nationalities in the United Arab Emirates, and will happily collaborate with them for the greater good.”

ALSO READ:

• Dubai’s Museum of the Future welcomes 1 million visitors in 1 year, bags 10 global awards

• Dubai: New flyover connecting two key roads opens