Festivals are an important part of economic diversification plans in the GCC, both as a means for developing tourism, and to provide people with access to cultural events that celebrate everything from national heritage through to sports and contemporary art.
Our festival skills research took place between 2018/19 in all 6 Gulf countries and outlines what skills and capabilities are needed to strengthen and grow this sector in the future. It is intended to widen the understanding of professionals in the culture sector in the Gulf and the UK about the possibilities for collaboration in the area of festivals.
If you work with festivals, or you are involved in supporting the development of culture or tourism, this report will offer you a deeper understanding of the festivals landscape in the Gulf and the skills needed by people working in the sector that will enable future festivals to thrive.
You can download the report here. It is also available in Arabic.
We’re interested in connecting with anyone who wants to build on this research or join the conversation, we have a Gulf festivals database and we are keen to share it with people who are interested in working in this area, we will be continuing further research through focus groups to help inform our skills work in the Gulf. If after reading the report you would like to be involved please send an e-mail to: Salwa.hussein@sa.britishcouncil.org