Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival
The Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival (RAKFAF) is a nonprofit community arts festival designed to showcase the work of local and emerging artists, photographers, and filmmakers and engage the community through a diverse calendar of cultural and creative programming. We established RAKFAF to bring the community together to celebrate art, create opportunities for cultural exchange, and support the creative and artistic sectors of the emirate. An initiative of the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research, the Festival is an integral part of the Foundation’s mission is to contribute to the cultural development of Ras Al Khaimah.
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History
Founded in 2013, we’ve grown from a small festival of 30 emerging Ras Al Khaimah-based artists to become the emirate’s cultural event of the year. Since 2019, the Festival has called Al Jazirah Al Hamra Heritage Village home, hosting a large-scale, outdoor exhibition modeled after La Gacilly Photo Festival in France. The historic home of the Al Zaabi tribe, the traditional pearling village now serves as a bridge between cultural heritage and contemporary art, bringing together art lovers, history enthusiasts, and the rest of the community to engage with new forms of art and learn about Ras Al Khaimah’s rich history. In recognition of Ras Al Khaimah’s connection to the desert, the mountains, and the sea, RAFKAF also hosts satellite exhibitions on the UAE’s highest peak, Jebel Jais, and luxury beach destination, Marjan Island.
