Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture will organise the 19th edition of the Al Burda Award Ceremony on 18 November at Louvre Abu Dhabi. The ceremony will feature an exceptional artistic performance titled “Beauty in Unity”, which will celebrate the beauty that emerges from diversity and complementarity, reflecting the human values of harmony, unity, and inclusivity.

The performance will showcase rich cultural and artistic diversity, featuring artists from the UAE, Uzbekistan, Kuwait, Japan, Egypt, Guinea, Turkey, Iran, and France, embodying the spirit of openness and tolerance on which the Al Burda Award is founded, and reaffirming its status as a global platform celebrating pioneers of Islamic art and creativity from around the world.

The show will unfold through five main musical acts, each representing a stage in the evolution of human community in perfect harmony among voices and cultures: “Beauty of Tradition,” “Beauty of Communion,” “Beauty of Diversity,” “Beauty of Collaboration,” and “Beauty of Harmony.” These acts will interweave into a unified narrative that expresses the beauty of humanity’s diversity.

The performance will open with a powerful ceremonial scene by the Emirati Malid Group, reviving the spiritual rhythm of the traditional Malid art form, blending authenticity with religious and social heritage in a moving opening that connects deeply with Emirati cultural identity.

The second act, “Beauty of Communion,” will introduce this year’s Guest of Honour – the Republic of Uzbekistan – through a collective performance by the “Manzur Ensemble,” which will blend Uzbek and Tajik maqam traditions in a musical dialogue symbolising communion between cultures and human connection across borders.

In the third act, “Beauty of Diversity,” the Abu Dhabi Youth Choir will join Kuwaiti–Japanese artist Maryam Shehab in a performance that will merge classical Arabic poetry with contemporary melody, presenting “Walaw A’limta,” a poetic piece expressing openness to cultures and renewal in artistic expression, where youthful voices and soft instrumentals will create a lyrical harmony reflecting intergenerational and cultural connection.

In the fourth act, “Beauty of Collaboration,” Egyptian artist Hind El Rawy and Guinean artist Djeli Moussa Condé will present a performance blending African rhythms with Eastern spirit, creating a vibrant musical fusion that symbolises the birth of shared creativity when cultures meet on one stage.

The finale, “Beauty of Harmony,” will feature artist Alaa Wardi, one of the region’s most innovative vocal performers, who will reconstruct live voices and sounds into a collective musical crescendo, bringing together all the artists on stage in a grand, unified moment that embodies the true essence of “Beauty in Unity,” expressing harmony and connection across languages and cultures.

Through this artistic vision, Al Burda Award will reaffirm its message that beauty is born from diversity, and that unity does not erase differences, but embraces them, presenting to the world a scene that reflects the core values of Islamic civilisation — mercy, harmony, and peace — in their most beautiful form.

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