2012 outlook for UAE culture

The New York pop group Scissor Sisters will open the 2012 Yas Island Show Weekends on January 12 and herald another year of eclectic performances. From Jason Mraz at the Skywards Dubai International and Kasabian at The Sevens Stadium in February, to a double bill of Duran Duran and Snow Patrol in March, there will be no shortage of must-see performances this year.
Also in March, this year's Emirates Airline Festival of Literature will kick off in Dubai. Aauthors and speakers have already been announced, and Ariana Bundy, Daljit Nagra, Mourid Barghouti and Riz Khan are just some of the dozens expected to attend.
In the world of art, London's Delfina Foundation will initiate Artist In Residence Dubai (AIR Dubai) with Art Dubai and Tashkeel, which invites six major international artists into the Bastakiya heritage quarter near Dubai Creek for a three-month working period beginning in January.
In March, Design Days Dubai, the inaugural outing of the region's first contemporary-design festival, will bring some of the world's biggest design galleries.
Also look out for the March Meetings. The region's eminent speakers will attend this heavyweight lecture series.