Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – Cultural leader Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal has been honoured with the Abu Dhabi Award for his contribution to arts, culture and community development across the United Arab Emirates. The recognition, presented under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, comes during the 12th edition of the national awards which celebrate individuals whose selfless work has made a lasting difference locally and internationally.
The theme for this year, Hand in Hand, aligns with the UAE’s Year of Community and marks twenty years of recognising people who embody national values of generosity, civic duty and compassion. The story of Alserkal’s impact is well known across the region and continues to inspire cultural practitioners in small nations such as Eswatini, where creative hubs are still developing.
Alserkal’s journey began in 2007 when he founded Alserkal Avenue and transformed a former industrial zone in Dubai’s Al Quoz into one of the most vibrant cultural districts in the Middle East. The district is home to more than one hundred creative businesses and attracts over two million visitors every year. What started as a grassroots effort has grown into a cultural enterprise shaping contemporary culture and contributing to the creative economy across the MENASA region.
Today the organisation functions through three main pillars, the Arts Foundation, the Advisory consultancy and its Cultural Districts. These pillars oversee placemaking initiatives, curatorial experimentation and long term cultural strategies that support artists, institutions and entrepreneurs working to build shared futures.
Under Abdelmonem’s leadership, Alserkal has delivered more than five thousand public programmes while maintaining an annual footfall of over two million visitors. It has also collaborated with more than five hundred institutions worldwide. Since 2017, the Arts Foundation and earlier residency programmes have hosted over fifty residents, ranging from artists and curators to researchers. They have been supported through grants, commissions and residency placements. The Foundation has also directed large scale public art initiatives in Dubai, contributing to citywide public art programmes through site specific and community focused commissions.
In 2021, Alserkal expanded its influence by establishing the Advisory, a unit dedicated to cultural planning and long term strategy projects for regional and international partners. This arm extends the organisation’s footprint into creative economy development and cultural ecosystem building.
Responding to the announcement, Abdelmonem described the award as a lifetime honour. He noted that Alserkal was built on the belief that culture has the power to transform how people live, bringing communities together and giving shared purpose to artistic ideas. He thanked artists, curators, creative entrepreneurs, partners and members of the public who have supported the organisation over the years.
Executive Director Vilma Jurkute said his vision has created safe and collaborative spaces where artists can take risks, experiment and push the boundaries of creative practice. She added that his belief in the power of culture to inspire dialogue continues to influence conversations across the region and at global level.
This latest honour adds to Abdelmonem’s previous recognitions which include the Patron of the Arts Award in 2012 and 2013 from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French Republic in 2023 and the UAE Medal for Culture and Creativity in 2024.
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