DAILY SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Traditional Performing Arts
)Live Performances( 4-11 PM Handicrafts
(Live Demonstration of Talli, Khous, Sadu & Daoun(
4-11 PM Rababah Playing
)Live Performance( 4-11 PM Family Craft Souq
4-11 PM Souq Al Qattara Gallery 4-11 PM
Edutainment Workshops
For Kids & Families
4-10 PM Al Suwayea )Heritage Workshops(
Friday, Saturday & Sunday
6- 8 PM Musical Concerts
Fridays - Saturdays
8 PM Restaurants & Cafés
4-12 midnight
EMIRATI TALENTS
Nayef Al Nuaimi
1 November 2024
8:00 PM
Zayed Sِaqr 8 November 2024
8:00 PM
Ahmed Askoor 1 November 2024 8:00 PM
Qusai Al Mamari 15 November 2024 8:00 PM
Mohammed Saqr 8 November 2024 8:00 PM
Saif Al Ali 15 November 2024
8:00 PM
CONCERTS
Harbi Al Ameri
2 November 2024 8:00 PM
Aryam
9 November 2024
8:00 PM
Hamad Al Ameri
16 November 2024
8:00 PM
AL SUWAYEA
Al Qattara Arts Centre presents the Al Suwayea programme, which aims to develop traditional craftsmanship skills and help preserve Emirati Heritage through a series of heritage workshops during the festival.
Truffle Machboos
By: Amna Al Blooshi
Tuesday 29 October Families
Date Cake
By: Ohood Al Dossari
Friday 1 November Families
Makeup Art of Paper
By: Muna Al Muhairi
Saturday 2 November
Ladies only
DIY Prayer Beads
By: Mahra Alahbabi
Friday 8 November
Families
Homemade Pumpkin Jam
By: Chef Dima
Saturday 9 November
Families
Bride’s Perfume
Sunday 10 November
By: Mouza Al Ameri
Ladies only
Crafting with Wool
By: Nashmia Al Khayl
Friday 15 November
Ladies only
Traditional Doll Crafting
By: Ameera Al Blooshi
Saturday 16 November
Ladies only
Local Dips
By: Tahani Al Sayah
Sunday 17 November
Families
AL AIN: PULSE OF ABU DHABI
Inspiring art exhibition showcasing the talents of four creatives in both traditional and digital visual art.
Ayman Alemam
Samia Saleh
Aysha Alhashmi
Rafeea Alkhyeli
The exhibition also features stunning installations in the courtyard of Al Qattara Arts Centre, along with family-friendly activities, including play attractions for kids and outdoor seating areas inspired by the exhibition.
Discover the vibrant essence of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, the heart and pulse of the Emirate.
The exhibition takes place at the Al Qattara Arts Centre and will run until January 17, 2025
ABU DHABI CRAFTS
The Abu Dhabi Crafts initiative showcases locally crafted goods from Emirati artisans, available in retail outlets and online platforms, both locally and globally, highlighting original designs and authentic products made with exceptional craftsmanship.
MAKTABA
The Library Management department at the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi runs the public libraries in Abu Dhabi, providing a diverse programme of educational events and activities for the local community.
Maktaba’s mandate includes providing services to the local community and seekers of knowledge, the promotion of reading and writing, in addition to providing educational and recreational activities and many other awareness programmes.
Visitors from various age groups and backgrounds visit the public libraries to benefit from its book collection and the many services they offer on daily basis. Moreover, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi strives to make these public libraries inspiring spaces that attract talents and specialised groups, through organising different events and activities, which instill and spread the culture of reading and creativity in Abu Dhabi’s society.
BAIT AL GAHWA
The Bait Al Gahwa initiative is intended to safeguard cultural heritage, support traditional practices and offer training and permits to Emirati Nationals
The initiative is part of DCT Abu Dhabi’s commitment to preserve and promote heritage and support traditional practices, in this instance the art of making Arabic coffee and Majlis-hosting, which were inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2015.
‘Bait Al Gahwa’ permits are granted to Emirati youths who are interested in operating independent projects, after receiving extensive training by heritage experts in the DCT Abu Dhabi’s Education Department. The training course teaches the steps of making coffee using traditional tools, as well as the traditions of serving coffee and managing the majlis in which the ceremony takes place.
DCT Abu Dhabi has set standards for ‘Bait Al Gahwa’ projects, which include using other heritage elements that are inscribed on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. Those wishing to participate in this initiative must follow the traditions of coffeemaking and serving adopted by UNESCO.
The traditional Bait Al Gahwa majlis design includes many authentic heritage elements, such as Al Qawar that is placed on the stove, and which is located where guests can watch the coffee-making stages.
AL QATTARA ARTS CENTRE
Al Qattara Arts Centre plays a unique role in Al Ain’s artistic and cultural scene. It is not only a place for people to see art, but also a place to create it.
The Centre was established in 2011 as a venue where culture and the creative arts can be studied, practiced and developed. It boasts a permanent venue for archaeological and heritage exhibits, and studios for art classes, while the onsite art gallery displays work by expatriate and Emirati artists.
HOUSE OF ARTISANS
House of Artisans pays tribute to the intangible cultural heritage that is essential to Emirati society to this day, by celebrating the artistic and creative relationship that our Emirati forefathers developed with their surrounding environment to meet the nation’s economic and functional needs. Visitors to House of Artisans will learn about the functionalities of these ingenious crafts and the materials, skills and techniques required to produce them, as well as enjoy displays of contemporary crafts and design by emerging and established Emirati artists and designers who have been inspired by UAE handicrafts.
TRADITIONAL COFFEEHOUSE
The coffeehouse introduces visitors to traditional Emirati hospitality practices by providing dates and Arabic coffee. It also offers tea, halwa, and popular Emirati delicacies such as luqaimat, dango, and bajilla.
FALCONRY
The Falconry Corner provides live, interactive showcases of falcons and birds of prey, explaining the diverse falcon types, falconry tools, and hunting expeditions. Festival attendees can also engage with and photograph the birds.
FUTURE ENTREPRENEURS
The ‘Young Entrepreneurs’ corner showcases a collection of promising businesses and startups led by young students, with the goal of enhance their entrepreneurial skills and nurturing their innovative and proactive mindset. This initiative also strives to raise financial awareness among both youth and children.
BAIT BIN BIDUWA
Bin Biduwa Al Darmaki House is one of the mud houses located on the edge of Al Qattara Oasis. The house consists of several rooms of varying periods of construction and degrees of completion, and includes a mudbrick tower. Excavations have revealed that the house can be dated to the 17th century.
Visitors can learn about the excavation processes, renovation techniques, and preservation methods applied to the building, gaining an understanding of its historical context. They can also easily discern between renovated elements and the original parts by noting subtle differences in the mud’s colour.
EMIRATI TRADITIONAL GAMES
Traditional games are an integral component of the United Arab Emirates’ intangible cultural heritage. Many of these games have been inherited from generation to generation across cities, villages, mountains, and the deserts of the UAE, reflecting the environment in which Emirati children were raised in the past. These traditional games serve to enhance the physical and mental capabilities of children while also embodying the spirit of cooperation and solidarity within the community.
EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOP
During the festival, numerous interactive educational workshops are held for school students and children. These workshops focus on traditional crafts and arts in an engaging and informative manner, aiming to familiarise them with their rich cultural heritage. The goal is to spread knowledge and heritage awareness about the traditions and heritage of the United Arab Emirates.
SOUQ AL QATTARA GALLERY
Within the Al Qattara traditional mudbrick souq, you’ll discover this traditional heritage gallery displaying shops, crafts, and professions practiced by our ancestors, mirroring the old traditional bazaars in the UAE. The exhibition includes over 15 diverse professions such as the goldsmith, the baker, the tailor, the halwa maker, and the pearl merchant.
TRADITIONAL PERFORMING ARTS
The United Arab Emirates is renowned for its unique traditional performing arts. Visitors can witness and engage in these artistic displays at the festival’s traditional performances stage. These include various arts like Al-Razfa, Al-Yowla, AlAyyala, Al-Taghrooda, and Al-Shallat, open to both men and youth alike.
FAMILY CRAFT MARKET
This traditional market showcases and sells traditional handicraft products by Emirati families. It offers a wide array of goods, including traditional clothes, decorative items )such as incense, perfume, and henna(, antiques, herbs used in traditional medicine, and more.
ARTISANS PERFORMANCES
The festival features live interactive performances highlighting diverse traditional crafts and industries, including those related to palm fronds, natural fibers, spinning, textiles )especially Sadu(, pottery, Talli weaving, adornment, jewelry making, woodworking, carpentry, and leather-related industries.
FESTIVAL SECTIONS
THE TRADITIONAL HANDICRAFTS FESTIVAL
The Festival is an annual event that is held in the city of Al Ain. The Festival attracts the owners of handicrafts and traditional industries in the United Arab Emirates and strives to educate people about this part of UAE heritage and show how we can protect it, support the work done by the craftsmen/women and invest in their products.
THE FESTIVAL AIMS TO:
• Introduce visitors to the traditional handicrafts and industries in the United Arab Emirates and the Arab gulf countries
• Safeguard traditional handicrafts and industries from extinction and document them so that future generations can learn about them
• Raise awareness regarding the importance of traditional industries and the need to preserve them
• Support the private sector that specialises in traditional handicrafts and industries
• Develop traditional handicrafts and industry products that suit contemporary needs
• Develop a mechanism to market and promote traditional handicrafts and industry products
INTRODUCTION
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi launches the 10th edition of the Traditional Handicrafts Festival at Souq Al Qattara, Al Ain.
Every year the Traditional Handicrafts Festival comes closer and closer to realising its goals, educating the people about handicrafts in the United Arab Emirates, and supporting efforts by concerned parties, practitioners and sponsors. In its tenth edition, the Festival provides the opportunity for its visitors to get a glimpse of the heritage of the ancestors and learn how they were able to adapt to the available resources and utilise them efficiently and brilliantly to cater for their needs.
Besides its role in inspiring people and taking them on a journey to the past to witness the ceremonies that accompany the making of those products, the Festival also represents a unique opportunity to highlight the place that handicraft products hold in the UAE’s heritage. Moreover, the Festival calls upon the people to help develop and maintain handicrafts and support the craftsmen/ women to ensure the survival of this art into the future in line with the directions of our leadership which emphasise the importance of using heritage as a supporting and guiding tool in the overall development that the country is currently experiencing in all fields of life.
The Traditional Handicrafts Festival will serve as an opportunity for the people to watch performances by Traditional art troupes, attend musical evenings and heritage and cultural programmes, and watch live performances by the craftsmen/women who will showcase how they use their traditional tools to make wicker and pottery, spin wool, and weave Sadu and Talli among many other beautiful traditional handicrafts.
THE FESTIVAL’S PARTNERS
• Abu Dhabi Police GHQ
• Al Ain City Municipality
• Zayed House For Islamic Culture
• General Women’s Union
• Judicial Department
• Department of Education and Knowledge - Abu Dhabi
• Emirates Red Crescent Authority “Alghadeer Emirati Crafts”
• Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation “Productive Families Support Project”
• Family Development Foundation
• Abu Dhabi Media Netwrok
• Al Ain Club
29 Oct - 17 NOV 2024
Souq Al Qattara
Hamouda bin Ali St, Al Ain City
Organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi
+971 2 444 0444
info@abudhabiculture.ae
P.O.Box: 94000, Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
