Today's Edition
SADEQ ALKHOORI (ABU DHABI)
At Abu Dhabi's newest venues, the experience now begins long before the lights dim or the doors to a gallery swing open. A cinema is no longer just a dark room and a screen. An art space is no longer only a place to stop, look and leave.
Across the capital, a quieter cultural shift is taking shape, one built around atmosphere, design and the idea of staying longer. One of the most striking examples of this evolution is the opening of Cinemacity Starlight at Marina Mall. While traditional multiplexes often focus on high-speed turnover, this venue positions itself as a more immersive departure from the ordinary.
By leaning into a tagline of cultural literacy and craftsmanship, the cinema prioritises hospitality over functionalism. This change in language matters because it points to a new kind of night out, where lounge-style interiors and curated presentation become as much of an attraction as the film itself. It is less about the consumption of media and more about the occasion of being there.
This shift towards deeper, more sustained engagement is reflected at many locations across Abu Dhabi, such as the Bassam Freiha Art Foundation on Saadiyat Island. As the only private art foundation in the Saadiyat Cultural District, it represents a departure from the grand, one-off gallery visit.
Free and open to the public, the foundation focuses on year-round programming that highlights global and regional voices. Rather than functioning as a tourist stop, it is positioned as a space for repeated dialogue and education, playing a quieter but more vital role in the city's daily cultural life.
Existing venues are evolving in parallel to meet this demand for interaction. At Manarat Al Saadiyat, the focus has pivoted towards a participatory model. Through multidisciplinary workshops and hands-on art classes, visitors are invited to make, learn and return.
Similarly, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi operates as more than a performance destination; it is a continuous ecosystem of rehearsals, public programmes, and artistic exchange that feels like a continuing rhythm rather than a series of isolated events.
"This may vary from one individual to another, as well as from one family to another;" Mohamed Al Ali, an Abu Dhabi resident, told Aletihad.
"Some find comfort and quality time in gatherings at home, especially during Ramadan, while others find peace and joy in exploring places around the city. Regardless of these preferences, what remains constant is the sense of peace, serenity and comfort we feel as Emirati citizens – particularly as residents of Abu Dhabi," he added.
However, it is not just serenity and art hand in hand. Further into the city's commercial heart, the MiZa district in Mina Zayed has shown that culture is expanding beyond exhibition and into creative production. By transforming one of the capital's oldest trading districts into a neighbourhood for entrepreneurs and artists, MiZa suggests a model where culture is tied to what is made, recorded and designed, rather than just what is displayed.
Even public spaces are being redesigned to hold more than one purpose. At Hudayriyat Island, leisure and movement are folded into the same setting. It has sporting venues, is the stage of premier international cycling events, while the beach has also been an open stage for fireworks displays.
These areas do not operate as conventional cultural institutions, yet they reflect the same pattern: Abu Dhabi's social spaces are being designed to be inhabited, not just used. Residents say that change is already visible in how they spend their evenings.
"It's, like, not the same as before where you just go somewhere and leave [right after]," Ahmed, an Emirati resident from Abu Dhabi, told Aletihad. "Now even places like cinemas or art spaces, you kind of just stay longer, talk a bit, sometimes [even run into familiar faces], and maybe grab something after. It feels more like part of your night, not just one thing you do and go."
Another resident said the atmosphere of newer spaces is changing how people connect. "I feel like, recently, a lot of places are designed for you to actually hang out, not just visit," said Daniel, an expatriate resident who did not want to disclose his full identity.
"Even if you go alone, you kind of end up staying, looking around, sometimes even talking to people."
