Rasha Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairwoman of Music Nation, participated in the Congress of Arabic & Creative Industries as a speaker in a high-profile panel. The congress, held on September 14–15 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, carried the theme “Arabic Creativity Reimagined: Innovation in Storytelling and Audience Engagement,” and brought together some of the most influential Arab leaders shaping today’s creative industries.
The panel discussion, featuring acclaimed actress and filmmaker Nadine Labaki and moderated by Caroline Faraj, Editor-in-Chief of CNN Arabic, delved into the role of art and music in projecting Arab cultural identity on the global stage. It also highlighted the importance of balancing heritage with innovation in the creative industries and their contribution to strengthening the cultural economy both locally and internationally.
The fourth edition of the Congress attracted a distinguished audience of creators and decision-makers, including H.E. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism; H.E. Ali Bin Tamim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre; actress Hend Sabry; writer Mariam Naoum; and Palestinian-American artist Mohammed Amer, alongside several other prominent Arab creatives.
Widely recognized as the world’s leading platform celebrating the Arabic language and its cultural manifestations across creative industries, the Congress is organized by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre under the Department of Culture and Tourism. It aims to showcase the Arab creative scene through a contemporary lens and contribute to building a vibrant Arab cultural and creative ecosystem, in line with the UAE’s efforts to elevate the status of the Arabic language and reinforce its global presence. Each year, the Congress brings together key figures in art, literature, and creativity. Previous editions featured actor Karim Abdel Aziz, director Marwan Hamed, and novelist Ahmed Mourad, reflecting its role as a premier gathering of Arab creative icons.
It is worth mentioning that recently, Music Nation was awarded a Collective Music Organization (CMO) permit by the UAE’s Ministry of Economy and Tourism to manage music rights throughout the nation, in accordance with the UAE’s IP enforcement legislation. The company collects and distributes artistic royalties, safeguarding creators’ rights, and ensuring that businesses that use music do so in compliance with the intellectual property laws in the UAE. This reinforces Music Nation’s pioneering role in building an integrated music ecosystem that empowers artists and contributes to strengthening the UAE’s standing on the global creative stage.