UAE | Heritage and Culture
Al Dhafra Camel Festival helps bring past to life
Colourful traditional handicrafts used as bridles for camels can be found in the traditional souq near the main stage for the camel beauty contest during the Al Dhafra Camel Festival in the Western Region.
- By Eman Mohammed, Abu Dhabi Deputy Editor
- Published: 23:29 December 24, 2008
- The event is drawing thousands of people, keen to watch events such as the popular camel beauty pageant.
- Image Credit: Ravindranath/Gulf News
Madinat Zayed: Colourful traditional handicrafts used as bridles for camels can be found in the traditional souq near the main stage for the camel beauty contest during the Al Dhafra Camel Festival in the Western Region.
The 157 shops built with wood and covered with dried palm leaves recreate a traditional souq. They surround an open area where a tented traditional cafe serves traditional Emirati food.
Saeed Hamad Al Ka'abi, souq supervisor told Gulf News that 130 shops were given to families producing traditional crafts from the Western Region; they are selling home-made products such as traditional food and decorative items.
Ghareba Bint Mohammad Al Wehabi sat in her small shop weaving wool into a colourful camel bridle. The 50-year-old also sells traditional cosmetics for women.
"I learned from my mother how to make all those crafts,' she told Gulf News.
Wearing a traditional burka popular in Oman, where she comes from, she said: "Tourists like buying traditional crafts and also camel owners decorate their camels with them," she said.
In a unique programme to support women the UAE Red Crescent Authority started the Al Ghadeer initiative three years ago to encourage needy women to produce traditional crafts to support their families.
For the first time the programme displayed their products in the traditional souq.
"Some 25 families from Abu Dhabi are registered on the programme; we are standing by needy women to be creative to support themselves and their families," Naema Al Mansouri, director of the programme told Gulf News.
Million Street
Meanwhile due to the high prices camels fetched in the first festival the organising committee has decided to name the sandy road which leads to the festival's main stage, "Million Street."
"Camels worth at least Dh1 million crossed this way in the first festival held last April," Rashid Al Marar from the organising committee told Gulf News.
"The most expensive camel was sold last year at Dh15 million...and that's a good reason to remind people of this event," he said.
Camels participating in the daily auction are expected to attract more camel owners who wish to break last year's record.
Fresh dimension
Al Dhafra Camel Festival this year is not dedicated only to camels; a new competition for date packaging has been added.
"We are aiming to bring awareness to palm farmers about the importance of packaging to market their dates," Mubark Al Qusaili, director of the competition told Gulf News.
The competition is open to date companies and individuals from the UAE. Registration will be open until December 28. Winners will be announced and honoured on the last day of the festival on January 1.
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