Aga Khan has officially opened the Ismaili Centre Dubai on a land gifted by the ruling family of the emirate.

The land for the centre, situated in Oud Metha on 13,000 square metres, was presented by the UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Dubai ruler Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to Aga Khan in 1982, on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of the Aga Khan's accession to the leadership of the Ismaili Muslims, the group said in a statement. 

Set amidst the diversity of Dubai's architectural landscape, the Ismaili Centre is a unique expression of architecture, carefully integrating traditional features and materials.

Designed by Rami El Dahan and Soheir Farid of El Dahan & Farid Engineering Consultants from Cairo, the building was inspired by Fatimid architecture of old Egypt and Syria.

Adjacent to the centre, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) has developed a 3,000 square metre park, which was designed by renowned landscape architect Maher Stino, who also designed the 74- acres Azhar Park in Cairo Egypt, another AKTC project.

The centre is the fourth Ismaili Centre in the world, comparable in scope and noted architectural standing to existing major centres in London, United Kingdom; Vancouver, Canada; and Lisbon, Portugal.

The centres offer a range of cultural and educational activities, non- denominational in nature in the cities in which they are located. Plans for Ismaili Centres in Dushanbe, Tajikistan and Toronto, Canada are in advanced stages of development, the group said. – TradeArabia News Service