The Aga Khan is visiting Dubai as part of a diamond jubilee tour marking 60 years as spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslim community.
Shortly after arriving in the UAE, the Aga Khan was welcomed by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister for Tolerance, on Monday and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and the Ruler of Dubai, and Reem Al Hashimi, Minister of State, on Tuesday.
The tour is celebrating six decades of global engagement with cultural, economic and social development effort to improve the lives of people around the world in the Aga Khan Development Network.
#محمد_بن_راشد يستقبل الآغا خان الرابع زعيم الطائفة الإسماعيلية حول العالم. #وامhttps://t.co/Cju75LFY3D
— وكالة أنباء الإمارات (@wamnews) January 23, 2018
The network currently serves millions of people in more than 35 countries and aims to bring a wider understanding of Islam, and to foster a brotherhood within the Ummah.
As one of the first museums of Islamic art in North America, the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto Canada, helps deepen understanding and knowledge exchange between cultures and faiths.
In 1977, the Aga Khan established the US$1 million (Dh3.7m) Aga Khan Award for Architecture awarded every three years to projects that are judged to set new standards of excellence while addressing the needs of Islamic and Muslim communities.
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Sheikh Nahyan is the Honorary Chairman of the Gulf and South Asia Patrons Circle of the Aga Khan Museum.
In 1977, the Aga Khan established the US$1 million Aga Khan Award for Architecture awarded every three years to projects that are judged to set new standards of excellence while addressing the needs of communities in which Muslims or Islamic heritage have a significant presence. Its 13th cycle was held in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi in 2016.
Last year, under the mentorship of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, a new education initiative, the Young Architects and Design Programme was established in partnership with Alserkal Avenue.
In its 40 years, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture has documented more than 9,000 projects and recognised 116, including Jean Nouvel’s Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, the Azem Palace in Damascus, Louis Khan’s National Assembly Building in Dhaka, and the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.