Art Patronage in the Culture of the United Arab Emirates in the Second Half of the 20th – Beginning of the 21st Century

In the 21st century, art patronage plays an important role in the development of Western and Eastern modern culture. The United Arab Emirates is a country that, over the fifty years of its existence, has been able to become key center of the artistic movement in the Middle East. One of the reasons for the rapid cultural development is the activities of patrons of the arts. Art patrons actively support local artists, open galleries, museums and foundations, collect paintings and sculptures by Arab masters. The activities of patrons have diversified the Emirati art scene and made a huge contribution to the cultural growth of the UAE. The aim of this research work is to study the phenomenon of art patronage in the United Arab Emirates in the second half of the 20th - early 21st centuries. To achieve this goal, an integrated approach was applied, thanks to which the development of the institution of art patronage in the world and in the Middle East was studied, the activities of members of ruling families, entrepreneurs and cultural organizations of the emirates were analyzed, and the main features of patronage in the federation were identified. The results of the study showed that art patronage in the UAE appeared due to the policies of the rulers of the emirates; the creation of special legal acts regulating and encouraging the opening of foundations and cultural organizations; economic growth, the country has received additional resources for the development of art; the interest of the local elite and emirs in preserving the cultural heritage of the UAE.