Abu Dhabi: From a profusion of fresh dates straight from UAE’s palm trees to an array of stalls featuring some of the UAE’s cultural essentials, the opening day (Wednesday) of the Liwa Date Festival brought to life heritage and civilisations spanning decades.
The interlacing of wicker hampers, which can be utilised for a variety of purposes such as storing or displaying food, was a dominant activity across the festival’s traditional souq stalls.
Samira Al Amri, an official at the UAE’s General Women’s Union, told Gulf News: “Our mission is to provide our festival’s participants with the necessary ingredients to foster an appetite for preserving UAE’s heritage and instill in them national pride.”
“Every year, we provide Bedouin women with tools such as Al Khoos (palm fronds) and adequate stall spaces for them to display their skills and produce a glimpse of traditional Emirati heritage.”
Al Amri, who has been a regular participant at the festival, said she continues to witness increased footfall every year, with the event well-anticipated by people from different nationalities.
When asked about participants’ age, Al Amri said: “They’re all between the ages of 30-40. We make sure to provide these Bedouins with the required training programmes to enhance their talents and capabilities.”
Speaking to Gulf News, Nasra Abdullah, 34, who is visually impaired and continues to participate at several heritage events across Al Dhafra, Al Hosn and Swaihan, said this year marks her 10th contribution to the Liwa Date Festival.
“As far as guests are concerned, we sometimes see a great response from them and at other times we experience a slow period in terms of interaction. That said our main goal remains to retain customers at all times and to meet new clients, regardless of how well we sell.”
Her colleague, Ayesha Rashid, 34, said: “All perfumes and pieces of cloth [which are referred to as Smat] on display are handmade; thanks to Her Highness Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Al Nahyan, Wife of the late President Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, for her support when it comes to providing us with the basic supplies to produce these handmade items and giving us the opportunity to excel in the field of handicrafts. Our accessories, nonetheless, come straight from India.”
Meanwhile, Um Mohammad Al Shamsi and Um Ali Al Shamsi told Gulf News they intend to pass on their skills and expertise to younger generations despite the vast difference in cross-generational upbringing to ensure their customs remain timeless.
“We both have several children with whom we always share our expertise of crafting traditional pieces of cloth or even [making] wicker baskets so they can eventually take over,” they said.
Meanwhile, a Sudanese high-school student who was helping her mother run one of the stalls, originally owned by an Emirati craftswoman, said that she finds peace in knowing that the essential spirit of the participating businesswomen is to meet people, and not to make money.
“There is a sense of nobility in the way they do business. They find fulfilment in being a part of an event like this, talking to people and making new friends. They are gratified by this rather than by the desire for profit,” she said.
The Liwa Date Festival is organised by the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee in Abu Dhabi and is held under the patronage of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.
— Maisoon Mubarak is a trainee at Gulf News
