Hoda Ibrahim Al Khamis-Kanoo

Hoda Ibrahim Al Khamis-Kanoo is a leading female pioneer in the arts and culture of the region, Hoda was born to a Saudi businessman and Syrian mother in Beirut, and is married to a prominent Bahraini entrepreneur, Mohamed Kanoo.
    Her cross-cultural affinities have grown since her time at the American College of Paris where she studied art history. Settling in Abu Dhabi, she was appointed to the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation in 1989 as Special Advisor, before establishing the Music & Arts Foundation in 1991.
    In 2004, Hoda founded the Abu Dhabi Classical Music Festival and went on to establish a series of student awards for creativity with her husband Mohamed. As a former member of the UAE Writer’s Union, Hoda is a much sought after regional speaker on topics of leadership and the role of working women in Arab societies. She was appointed a board member of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Heritage & Culture in January 2006 by order of the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.