DUBAI: The Gulf emirate of Dubai announced on Wednesday plans to build a series of cultural projects such as libraries, theaters and museums, including one dedicated to Prophet Mohamed.
The Khor Dubai project, named after the shallow lagoon which divides the city-state in two, aims to add a cultural dimension to the popular tourist hub, which is part of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates.
The scheme will see construction of libraries, theaters, art galleries, cultural institutes, an opera house and more than 10 thematic museums at sites throughout the city.
The project was launched by UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed Al-Maktoum, who is also ruler of Dubai, and will include the world s first Mohamed museum dedicated to spreading the legacy and message of Islam.
Plans for the facility were announced in Dubai earlier this month amid widespread Muslim anger over the reprinting in Denmark of cartoons deemed offensive to the Prophet.
Organizers said the joint public-private sector project will celebrate Dubai s cultural diversity and showcase the emirate s rich past, dynamic present and promising future.
The UAE is a predominantly Muslim country, but Dubai is home to people from scores of nationalities and draws millions of visitors every year.
Dubai already boasts a multitude of extravagant ventures, including man-made islands, the world s tallest tower, and Dubailand – a cluster of multi-billion-dollar projects touted as the Orlando of the Middle East.
The announcement comes on the day the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the world s Shia Ismaili Muslims, inaugurated an Ismaili cultural center in Dubai, the first of its kind in the Middle East. -AFP
