DUBAI, 14th November, 2026 (WAM) -- The ninth edition of Art Connects Women (ACW) returned to DIFC Gate Village. Held under the patronage of UNESCO and organised by ZeeArts Gallery in collaboration with Dubai Culture and Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), this year's landmark edition brings together 115 women artists representing 115 countries under the theme "Educate to Empower."

Beyond its global exhibition, the 2026 programme, which concludes 15 November, places a sharp focus on the intersection of private capital, institutional stewardship, and technological innovation in the arts. A centerpiece of the four-day event was the full-day conference on Friday, 13 November 2026, titled "Cultural Investment: Art's New Era in Sustainable Finance and AI," which examined how emerging financial models, artificial intelligence, and cross-sector partnerships are reshaping cultural institutions and the wider art economy.

Sheikha Dr. Shamma bint Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan, Chairperson of the Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan Cultural and Educational Institutions, served as the guest of honour at the opening ceremony. In her address, she explored the relationship between education and the empowerment of women, the importance of recognising women's contributions to artistic and human history, and the challenges facing creativity in the age of artificial intelligence.

She emphasised that education that fosters empowerment goes beyond developing technical skills to include raising women's awareness of their rights, enabling them to manage their talents, and creating opportunities for their fair representation in artistic institutions and markets.

She stressed that recognising creativity begins with acknowledging the woman behind it by name, but is only complete when that name receives the recognition and standing it deserves.

(Source: WAM.ae)