The UAE values the role of culture in building bridges of connection between diverse peoples and has therefore taken steps to extend bilateral cooperation in cultural domains. For years, the UAE has signed cultural cooperation agreements with other countries, and this also extends to the reporting period for this report. Before 2018, aspects of the creative industries were included in the MoUs and agreements signed with other countries. However, since 2018, the UAE has, for the first time, included the term "cultural and creative industries" as an area of cooperation in its bilateral agreements and MoUs with partners around the world.
The bilateral cultural agreements that include the cultural and creative industries have recently been signed and results of these partnerships will be highlighted in the next reporting period.
Below are a few numbers and examples of the outcomes of these partnerships to date:
* 23 bilateral agreements and 1 multi-lateral agreement were signed between 2016 and 2019.
* 23 of the agreements were signed with partners in the global south.
* A one-year cultural dialogue was launched with France (2018-19) to serve as a platform for creative and cultural cooperation and engagement between the countries. One example of the cultural dialogue projects is a creative collaboration between French manufacturers and 4 UAE-based artists.