The Gulf emirate of Abu Dhabi is going to honour Pianist Yundi Li and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis besides some other artists at the Abu Dhabi festival. The festival which would be celebrated under the patronage of Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is aimed to promote the city as an art and entertainment hub of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Hoda al-Khamis Kanoo, founder of the festival's host, the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, told, "A few years ago, the cultural scene here existed but it was very humble compared to what it has become today." He said that the World's economy is slowly coming out of recession and the festival would prove a way to boost demand across the entertainment and tourism sector.

The government believes that such festivals can help to diversify economy which is a need of the hour as it mitigates dependence over particular economic segment.

The festival will see 40 events by Bolshoi and Mariinsky dancers, Chopin recitals by Yundi Li and Nobuyuki Tsujii and many more artists. Composer Krzysztof Penderecki and pianist Krzysztof Jablonski will be the main attraction of opening gala today.