It’s hard to believe that the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah’s (DAI) 40th year is coming to a close; 40 years since The al-Sabah Collection (TaSC) opened with the Kuwait National Museum and the DAI was launched. Also, it’s been a half century since our founder, Sheikh Nasser Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah (1948 – 2020) bought the 1st piece in what would become The al-Sabah Collection.

As our 40th anniversary is wrapping up, the 28th Cultural Season is upon us. In this programme you will find everything on the schedule this season. It’s an impressive list of lectures, concerts, theatre, workshops, exhibitions, festivals, cultural expeditions, and a whole host of children’s activities.

More than that, it’s a look forward. The events and activities from September 2023 to May 2024 are harbingers of what’s to come. A close read reveals the direction both the DAI and TaSC are going. There are more opportunities to see objects from the collection this season, a trend that will continue into the future. The scope of the lectures is increasing, acknowledging the broader interest in the art, culture and history of the Islamic world. The music programme includes new artists and new styles, some originating in the region and some being ‘imported’ from around the world. The children’s activities ramp up their results, expanding their partnership with old friends and new education specialists. Truly every aspect of Cultural Season 28 presents steps forward; progress as DAI and TaSC moves into the next decades.

But, of course, the traditions continue. The lectures are still on Monday evenings at 7 PM; the cultural season musical evenings remain on Wednesdays and the “Music of Diplomacy” highlights many Sunday evenings. The cultural expeditions mix history, culture and fun, as do the festivals.