Sheikh Zayed Festival in Abu Dhabi is a ‘living museum’ of UAE heritage
Visitors can experience all aspects of Emirati culture, cuisine and craftsmanship
Abu Dhabi: A “live heritage museum” where visitors can experience all aspects of Emirati heritage has opened at Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba region of Abu Dhabi.
The move also supports preserving traditional crafts, ensuring their sustainability across generations, and promoting them globally.
Sheikh Zayed Festival, running until February 18, 2025, highlights the cultural diversity of the UAE, emphasising arts, handicrafts, cuisine, customs, and traditional industries.
The festival management plans to display Emirati heritage through exhibitions, open spaces, and platforms, fostering understanding and continuity of these crafts. This initiative has contributed to the inclusion of several elements of Emirati heritage in UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This project will be implemented through the Department of Culture and Tourism pavilion, which showcases elements of Emirati intangible heritage, along with the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation for Humanitarian Work, the General Women’s Union, and other pavilions.
The live heritage museum project reflects the UAE’s dedication to preserving its intangible heritage and upholding the cultural pillars that form the foundation of its national identity. “A forward-looking vision originates from valuing the authenticity of the past and preserving ancestral legacy as a precious heritage for future generations,” organisers said.
Customs
The UAE’s intangible cultural heritage list, promoted by the Department of Culture and Tourism through informational brochures and booklets in its pavilion, includes elements connected to the UAE’s cultural identity, as well as shared traditions with the Gulf and Arab world. These brochures introduce heritage practices such as falconry, camel racing, Al Ayala, Al Razfa, Al Majlis, Al Taghrooda, Al Sadu, Al Aazi, Al Talli, camel herding songs, Arabic coffee, palm trees, aflaj (traditional irrigation), Arabic calligraphy, harees (traditional dish), and henna. The UAE plays a pivotal role in promoting these elements, which embody a comprehensive cultural identity, and has contributed to their global recognition.
The Sheikh Zayed Festival offers visitors an open space to explore the customs and traditions of the UAE, where they can witness various handicrafts practiced by Emiratis in their traditional environments. Skilled Emirati artisans demonstrate numerous traditional crafts for visitors, providing an immersive experience of the crafts and the social traditions associated with them, “offering a clear and profound portrayal of Emirati heritage”.
Women artisans
The General Women’s Union pavilion highlights the significant role of Emirati women in society through displays of traditional handcrafts practiced by women, underscoring their longstanding support of men. Forty female artisans, known as “heritage protectors”, showcase their expertise in crafts that are distinctive to Emirati culture. The pavilion also features crafts that blend modern and traditional styles to preserve heritage for future generations. It offers visitors insights into wedding traditions, adornment tools, and other aspects of celebratory occasions.
Ancestral lifestyle
The live museum at the Sheikh Zayed Festival illustrates aspects of ancestral life, showing how traditional handicrafts once provided self-sufficiency for many families. Artisans craft beautiful objects from materials like wool, Al Sadu weaving, Al Talli, and palm fronds, as well as shipbuilding and creating art from natural resources. In the past, these crafts were a primary source of livelihood, as families produced household items like mats, baskets, and covers, eliminating the need to purchase them from the market. They also utilised natural resources for building homes and ships. Today, demand for these crafts as souvenirs is growing, and young people are rejuvenating them with modern touches to meet contemporary needs.