The Abu Dhabi Sessions
Talking to other humans face to face is cool.
But if you’re shy and socially awkward then maybe talking to strangers about who you are and what you do isn’t so cool. Whether you’re a naturally charismatic go-getter or just generally weird. We get it.
That’s one of the reasons we created The Abu Dhabi Sessions - for the people. The creatives, the designers, the architects, the charismatic go-getters, the socially awkward introverts and everyone in between. We wanted a space to build community around the theme of Abu Dhabi and through creative conversations and good design. A place for people to just “be,” dream and discuss what Abu Dhabi is and what it could be.
Back in August, we held our first session under our new roof in ERTH. We got to mix and mingle with curious people, listen and learn from creatives of all kinds and dream of Abu Dhabi’s future through impactful and interactive workshops. It was a great event that got the people of Abu Dhabi moving and talking to one another (yes! even the socially awkward ones) in an informal space.
Raj Dagstani / owner Marmaletta / About Abu Dhabi:
“There are groups of people working together to execute great ideas - not individual people striving for fame.”
Pradeep Sharma / Sheikha Salama Foundation / About people-centric design:
“People matter. We need to think of people as humans more than resources.”
Here are our key takeaways from what we heard at our first little community gathering.
What Abu Dhabi is. . .
Abu Dhabi is home; a place of childhood memories and moments.
The Emirate offers the ideal pace to live life; it is not too fast or too slow.
People are positive and proactive to be the change they want to see to make this place more like a home they dreamed of.Abu Dhabi is evolving; it’s in a stage of growth.
No day looks like the previous one. This evolution scares some people and reassures others.Abu Dhabi is the core of the UAE and a place of opportunity. The whole nation grew from Abu Dhabi- that’s how the UAE started.
Abu Dhabi is not a place for extremes, it stands for value. Although it is often compared to Dubai, Abu Dhabi greatly differs because it does not strive to be number 1.
What Abu Dhabi could be. . .
Abu Dhabi could be more open to exploring talents within. There are a lot of people, small businesses and students working towards making Abu Dhabi a great home. We need to discover and highlight this to inspire others.
Abu Dhabi could be a leader in culture and community. People see Abu Dhabi becoming a strong voice when it comes to cultures, community and the union of both.
Abu Dhabi could be more focused on sustainability. We need more useful and available ways to ensure sustainability becomes the new normal in our daily lives.
Abu Dhabi could be intentional about building communities. We need to create platforms and meet-ups that foster the growth of communities and nurture them with opportunities.
