Created uniquely for SUAD by renowned choreographer Alaa Krimed and performed by the Sima Dance Company, the contemporary work explored humanity’s enduring connection to the ocean through expressive movement, sound and visual storytelling.
Drawing on the ancient symbolism of ‘Nun,’ the primordial ocean, the performance reflected on themes of origin, fragility and renewal, inviting audiences to contemplate how human life mirrors the ebb and flow of the sea. Over 200 guests attended the evening, which served as the final cultural highlight of SUAD’s year-long programme dedicated to ocean awareness and community engagement.
Launched at the beginning of 2025 and supported by the SUAD Ocean Institute established at COP28, SUAD’s Year of Ocean advanced major marine research missions in Abu Dhabi’s waters, including environmental DNA and acoustics studies and a mangrove ecosystem assessment. The university also delivered a series of public exhibitions, conferences and scientific events such as ‘An Ocean of Plankton’ and ‘Echoes of Earth’. SUAD further strengthened global ocean dialogue by hosting the international ‘Ocean Futures’ symposium with the Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Law (NUS) and contributing to the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 through panel sessions, workshops and student-led initiatives.
The closing performance of NUN underscored the essence of the initiative, reminding the community that protecting the ocean is both a scientific responsibility and a cultural call to action.
Reflecting on NUN and the year’s achievements, Professor Nathalie Martial-Braz, Chancellor of SUAD, said: “The performance of NUN offered a powerful and poetic conclusion to our Year of Ocean. Through art, science and community engagement, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi has spent this year deepening understanding of our marine environment and advancing the research needed to protect it. The show reminds us that safeguarding the ocean is not only a scientific endeavour, but also a cultural responsibility; one that calls on each of us to reflect, connect and take meaningful action.”
About Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi (SUAD)
Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, established in May 2006 as the first French university in the UAE and under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is a branch campus of the Sorbonne University in Paris, licensed by the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK). SUAD brings 768 years of academic excellence from the prestigious Sorbonne University and Université Paris-Cité in Paris to a 93,000 sqm state-of-the-art campus on Al Reem Island. The multidisciplinary research university offers over 20 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across three specialised schools: Arts and Humanities; Law, Economics, Business; and Data, Science and Engineering as well as on-demand PhD programmes from the doctoral schools in France All degrees are awarded by Sorbonne Université and Université Paris Cité and are evaluated by France’s Higher Council for the Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (HCERES) and accredited by the Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur, de la Recherche et de l’Innovation (MESR), as well as the UAE’s Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA).
SUAD’s programmes blend academic rigour, critical thinking, with practical experience through industry partnerships. Home to the Gulf’s largest French language academic library, the university advances research, innovation, and cross-cultural dialogue between French and Emirati communities. Its motto “Choose Excellence, choose SUAD” reveals its commitment to Excellence, one of its 5 strategic pillars – Research, Education, Excellence, Visibility and Sustainability. SAFIR, its multidisciplinary research institute powers the wider knowledge production with 7 centers working on critical domains (such as AI, Humanities and Marine Science), access to 17,000 researchers in France and UAE and strong industry research partnerships. Since 2022, SUAD welcomes the community to its cultural center offering a year-round program of exhibitions, theater plays, concerts, cinema and cultural talks. SUAD is engaged in advancing the UN SDGs through its sustainability pillar. With over 3,000 graduates from more than 90 nationalities, SUAD contributes significantly to Abu Dhabi’s multicultural academic ecosystem. Sorbonne Université is ranked 43rd globally in 2024 and 11th in mathematics in the Shanghai Ranking, and it is also ranked 8th in the Young University Rankings by Times Higher Education. Université Paris Cité is ranked 60th globally in the 2024 Shanghai Ranking of World Universities. SUAD’s School of Arts and Humanities was named the 1st Humanities Education University by the Forbes Middle East Higher Education Awards in 2019. In 2025, SUAD ranked second in the UAE for Responsible Consumption and Production in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.
For more information about Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi: https://www.sorbonne.ae/.
