Plans afoot to make Abu Dhabi souq permanent

Madinat Zayed, Abu Dhabi: The traditional souq at Al Dhafra Camel Festival will be turned into a permanent market which will stay open throughout the year.

"We are studying the final designs for its location, which will also include hotels," said Salem Al Mazroui, director of operations and logistics at Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage.

The festival taking place near the camel race truck in Madinat Zayed will be a permanent location to keep the Bedouin culture alive.

This year it has succeeded in attracting more than 2,000 owners from UAE and GCC countries who brought 24,000 camels to participate in camel beauty contest and the camel auction which continues till January 1, 2009.

During the first event that took place in April, General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, issued instructions to make the area a permanent traditional souq, that will act as a source of tourist attraction throughout the year.

"He instructed that the building be cool and proper to receive people even in hot summer," said Al Mazroui.

The initial plan was changed from just a traditional souq to a mall with a traditional-style building that portraits the simple traditional buildings in the UAE," he added.

Sand dunes

The mall will include brand shops, traditional crafts, supermarket, pharmacy, exchange, children's play ground and food courts to serve more than 200 animal camp owners and other people living around Madinat Zayed. Currently the traditional souk is built of wood and dried palm-tree leaves on top of sand dunes.

Once the plans are approved the construction works will commence, according to Al Mazroui.