The Kutubna Cultural Centre in Dubai is celebrating its official launch with an expansive art exhibition showcasing a century of Arab painting. Founded by Shatha Almutawa, the centre has evolved from a simple bookstore concept into a vibrant cultural venue, thanks to her return from the U.S. and her dedication to enriching the region’s cultural landscape.
Almutawa, an Emirati-Kuwaiti historian who had been teaching Islamic intellectual history at the American University in Washington DC, relocated to the UAE in 2022 following the birth of her daughter. With over two decades of experience in the U.S., Almutawa sought to re-engage with the Gulf’s literary and artistic scene while providing her daughter with proximity to family.
Initially, Almutawa envisioned Kutubna as a traditional bookshop focused on Gulf literature, a way to explore works from the region that were not readily available abroad.
However, as she pursued the necessary permits, she realized that the scope of her project would require a more formal cultural centre license to host events such as author readings and workshops.
Despite her initial hesitation about the cultural centre label, fearing it might seem off-putting, Almutawa’s concerns were quickly dispelled. “People were driving from all over the UAE,” she recalls. “They had ideas for the centre, and they wanted to help. So from the beginning, the place was really built by volunteers and people who really believe in having a community space for artists and writers.”
Kutubna’s charm lies in its eclectic setup, created on a shoestring budget. “There was no budget to start with,” Almutawa admits. “It was completely bare minimum, not even.” Resourcefulness turned discarded materials from other shops into functional elements of the centre, contributing to its unique character.
Since its soft launch last year, the centre has hosted prominent local scholars, including Ahmed Al Maazmi and Abdulla Galadari, who led engaging discussions on historical manuscripts and comparative texts. These events have strengthened Almutawa’s commitment to the centre.
Now, with its official opening marked by the exhibition One Hundred Years of Painting: Arab Art from 1916 to 2017, Kutubna highlights works from two notable collections in Dubai. This showcase includes pieces from influential artists such as Saliba Douaihy, whose early and later works illustrate his stylistic evolution, and other renowned figures like Farid Aouad and Najat Makki.
Almutawa expresses how organizing the exhibition deepened her appreciation for Arab art and hopes it will inspire visitors in the same way. “I didn’t know very much about these pieces or these artists,” she reflects. “Over time, I started to learn and understand.”
