In line with its efforts to enhance the artistic and cultural scene at Expo 2020 Dubai, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the global event’s Official Culture Supporter, recently announced a collaboration with talabat, the official food delivery partner for Expo 2020, to launch the #CreativeCravings initiative, inviting UAE-based artists to express their artistic interpretation of culinary arts at the ‘talabat Kitchen’ at Expo 2020 Dubai.

As part of this initiative, the entities will commission a line-up of six artists from Dubai Culture’s talent pool over the course of the mega event to explore their creativity and add their unique artistic touches to talabats’ rider helmets. The helmets were selected as a symbol of appreciation for the crucial role that talabat riders play for the communities they operate in.

Shaima Rashed Al Suwaidi, Director of Marketing & Corporate Communication Department at Dubai Culture, affirmed that this initiative stems from the need to promote community and human communication among individuals and honour delivery riders in appreciation of their active contributions to community service. In addition, it seeks to add new touches of beauty to the flourishing artistic and cultural scene in the emirate and support its creators by providing innovative platforms to display their creativity and contribute to their prosperity, thus strengthening the emirate’s position as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity and a thriving hub for talent.

Al Suwaidi added: “Our collaboration with talabat reflects our shared vision of enabling community connectedness by celebrating the important role that delivery riders play. We also aim to highlight Dubai’s culinary scene through art and culture to produce artistic paintings that speak the language of beauty and humanity.”

Commenting on the #CreativeCravings initiative, Sonia Lekhal, Chief Marketing Officer at talabat, said: “We are proud to expand our long-standing relationship with Dubai Culture through this collaboration aimed at enhancing the art scene in our innovative, two-storey tabalat Kitchen. We selected rider helmets as a canvas for this creative initiative to reflect our appreciation for our riders’ hard work and dedication – they are our backbone.”

He added: “At talabat, we are firm believers in the importance of empowering local entrepreneurs and talents and giving back to the communities we operate in. In addition to our ‘talabat Kitchen’ being home to over 30 of the UAE’s most loved homegrown restaurants serving visitors from across the world, we wanted to also show off the country’s talents on the world stage at Expo 2020 Dubai and exhibit the beauty of culinary arts, together with Dubai Culture.”

The initiative will kick-off on Friday, 29 October with UAE-based artist of Russian origins, Evgenia Silvina, who will be painting the first helmet. More of Evgenia’s artwork can be seen on the second floor of the ‘talabat Kitchen,’ where she had previously painted a mural of Dubai’s skyline and designed a talabat rider’s motorbike.

talabat will be hosting one artist per month at Expo 2020 Dubai as part of this collaboration, and visitors who wish to watch the artists in action can follow Dubai Culture’s Instagram page @DubaiCulture to learn more about the participating artists and activation dates. Painted helmets will be displayed in the ‘talabat Kitchen’ for the duration of Expo 2020.

In addition to arts, visitors can expect to see talabat autonomous robots and e-scooters across the site as well as a fully automated robotic confectioner and barista in the ‘talabat Kitchen,’ which is located adjacent to Jubilee Park in the Sustainability District.