The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s Creative City Network, on November 8 announced the capital with the designation.

Abu Dhabi off late has been garnering a lot of laurels and another feather added to the city’s cap is officially being called a ‘City of Music’ by the UNESCO Creative City Network.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s Creative City Network, on November 8 announced the capital with the designation.

The UNESCO Creative City Network—an initiative launched in 2004, promotes cooperation among cities that recognises creativity as a major factor in their sustainable urban development plans.

Abu Dhabi has always prioritised culture and creativity as essential drivers of social development and economic diversification, and music is one such cultural and creative industry that has seen significant levels of support. Being at the crossroad of the Arab world, Asia, Africa, and Europe, the legacy of openness and cultural exchange supports the vision to grow a music sector.

The designation will put Abu Dhabi on the global map as a home to a resilient and growing music ecosystem. Abu Dhabi now joins the list of cities like Liverpool in the UK, Auckland in New Zealand, Sevilla in Spain, and Chennai in India as pivotal points for music creativity as drivers of sustainable development plans.

Talking about Abu Dhabi’s title, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, “From traditional sung poetry performances and ancient instruments to our modern music scene, Abu Dhabi has a unique musical legacy. We celebrate our past while remaining open to new sources and genres of musical expression, fusing the traditional and the contemporary to bridge cultures and generations. By highlighting and nurturing the incredible depth of music diversity and talent in the emirate today, we are ensuring that music remains a fundamental element in the cultural life of the Abu Dhabi community.”

With Abu Dhabi winning the title, the capital joins the nearly 250 cities around the globe which currently work together towards a common objective— placing creativity and the culture and creative industries at the heart of their development plans and cooperating actively with key players from the music industry across the world.