DUBAI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 17, 2025--
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, ICOM Dubai 2025 concluded its historic edition, marking the first time the event was hosted in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. The conference, held under the theme ‘The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities,’ saw over 4,500 participants from museum professionals, cultural leaders, and decision-makers from around the world, underscoring Dubai's role as a global hub for culture, creativity, and innovation.
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The final day featured key discussions, including the session ‘Cultural Diplomacy from an Emirati Perspective: Bridges of Connection and Dialogue,’ led by Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture. During the session, Sheikha Latifa highlighted the UAE's cultural unity. Her Excellency Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of State, joined her, emphasising the importance of cultural diplomacy as a practice, not just a concept.
The conference also included the session ‘The Power of Narrative, Heritage, and Youth,’ which featured Her Excellency Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, who discussed the role of museums as vital platforms for dialogue and mutual understanding.
During his keynote, His Excellency Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Cultural Advisor to the UAE President, spoke about the challenges museums face in preserving the essence of creativity while adapting to change, stressing that museums are not just observers but active participants in societal transformation.
The closing ceremony also witnessed the announcement of new leadership for ICOM, with Antonio Rodriguez elected as ICOM’s new president and Nasir Al Darmaki appointed as vice president. The conference also marked the official handover of ICOM’s flag to the City of Rotterdam, which will host ICOM 2028.
ICOM Dubai 2025 also celebrated the inaugural ICOM Sustainability Award, presented to Kaye Hall of the Barbados Museum & Historical Society and Jamie Brown from the University of St. Andrews for their project "Shared Island Stories Between Scotland and the Caribbean."
In addition, more than 100 sessions, including panel discussions, training workshops, and masterclasses, took place throughout the event.
For more information, please visit: dubai2025.icom.museum
*Source:AETOSWire
ICOM Dubai 2025 Concludes with Historic Success (Photo: AETOSWire)
Nobody paying attention for the past 24 months would be surprised to see Indiana – yes, Indiana – leading the way into this year’s College Football Playoff.
But anyone paying attention over the last 24 hours knew the only sure thing beyond that was that the selection committee that set this 12-team bracket was destined to get destroyed when it released the pairings Sunday.
All that second-guessing and vitriol will be coming from Notre Dame, which was passed over for Alabama and Miami for two bubble spots in the bracket. The Fighting Irish dropped two notches in the rankings over the last two weeks despite a 10-game winning streak, winning their finale by 29 points and sitting on the couch Saturday.
Alabama didn't move at all in the CFP rankings after a 28-7 loss to Georgia that looked worse than that, but that the committee didn't count that against the Tide in keeping with a hazy policy that refrains from penalizing teams for playing in their league title game.
Miami didn't play either, but the Hurricanes' win over Notre Dame in Week 1 played a role in their move once the teams were grouped right next to each other after BYU lost its game on Saturday. Committee chairman Hunter Yurachek said he directed the committee to rewatch Miami's win over Notre Dame way back on Aug. 31.
“Once we moved Miami ahead of BYU, we had the side-by-side comparison that eveyrone had been hungy for,” Yurachek said.
The committee’s other key decision was choosing James Madison over Duke for the final spot, a selection that left the Atlantic Coast Conference champion out of the mix, but didn’t fully exclude the ACC because of Miami’s move into the bracket.
Yurachek insisted that including the ACC — one of the Power Four conferences — in the playoff in some form played no role in the deliberations.
The rest of the field includes No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Georgia and No. 4 Texas Tech, which joined Indiana in getting first-round byes. Then it was No. 5 Oregon, followed by Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Alabama, Miami, Tulane and James Madison.
The playoffs start Dec. 19-20 with first round games: James Madison at Oregon; Tulane at Misssissippi; Miami at Texas A&M; and Alabama at Oklahoma.
The final is set for Jan. 19 outside of Miami.
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) celebrates his touchdown against Alabama during the second half of a Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Ohio State's Lorenzo Styles Jr. breaks up a pass intended for Indiana's Omar Cooper Jr. during the first half of the Big Ten championship NCAA college football game in Indianapolis, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
