The UAE’s Minister of Culture and Youth Noura Bint Mohammed Al-Kaabi this week met with the creatives participating in the festival.Al-Kaabi said in a statement that the event celebrates the UAE’s heritage and showcases the central role of art in the country’s progress and evolution. “The participation of a group of UAE creatives including both Emirati and resident artists in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival reflects the rich heritage of our country,” she said. “As the country in focus, the UAE will showcase a glimpse of Arab civilization and its living heritage by exhibiting Emirati and Arab culture and arts.” The festival, titled “UAE: Living Landscape, Living Memory,” also celebrates the 50th anniversary of the founding of the UAE, where it will present to the public a variety of events involving more than 80 craftsmen, creators and musicians from the country whose mission is to introduce Emirati heritage to an international audience. The events of the festival are free to attend. The festival will start with a concert on the evening of June 22, followed by cultural programs, which will begin on June 23, highlighting the living memory and the cultural traditions of the UAE that stem from its association with land, sea and the sky.