Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo is a philanthropist and arts patron who founded the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation in 1996 and launched the Abu Dhabi Festival in 2004. She served on the board of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage (now the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi) from 2006 to 2012 and has since led initiatives to develop the UAE’s cultural sector. Her work has been recognised with national honours, including the Abu Dhabi Award, the Abu Dhabi Medal, and the UAE Order for Culture & Creativity, as well as international distinctions such as Spain’s Order of Isabella the Catholic, an OBE, Germany’s Order of Merit, France’s Legion of Honour and Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and other awards.

She holds a range of trustee and advisory roles with cultural and international institutions, including the UAE National Orchestra, Middle East Institute, Cleveland Clinic International Leadership Board, Lang Lang International Music Foundation, Reina Sofía School of Music, Edinburgh International Festival advisory board, and Tate Modern’s MENA acquisitions committee. In 2025, she was appointed advisor to H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and joined the board of the Grand Theatre of Rabat.