In the UAE, the number of children who want to start learning music is increasing every year. To tell us more about this explosion in interest in the last decade, on today’s episode of Hi Dubai we follow Tala Badri. She’s the founder and executive director for the Center of Musical Arts.   

“I set up here eleven years ago”, she says. “And even though I run here I still teach piano, flute and saxophone three days a week, which I love to do.”

“Some afternoons my children come too to learn instruments and my husband works here so it’s a family affair – the four of us are always together.”

An Emirati who only left the country to study in the UK, Tala has a lot of favourite places in Dubai. “I was born here so a lot of the places I like are nostalgic, they remind me of my childhood. I prefer going to open markets, there’s a lovely fish market in Umm Suqeim.”

“UAE is incredibly tolerant with different religions and nationalities. I find this at work – I have a very small business but I have 23 nationalities that work here! And we have so many students from all over the world that come as well. That offering – you don’t get anywhere else.”

Discover more about Tala’s life, and why she thinks more and more Emiratis are taking up music, in today’s Hi Dubai.