DCT — Abu Dhabi hosts events in Al Ain

The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) is organising a programme of interactive educational events at different cultural sites in Al Ain.

Until the 23rd of June, different workshops for school students will be held at Qasr Al Muwaiji. Primary level students will be able to participate in the Colour Printing and Educational Box sessions, to enhance their artistic skills and acquire deeper cultural knowledge.

Intermediate level students will be able to participate in a larger number of workshops, these will include: an introduction to Sadu, a traditional weaving craft included on Unesco’s Representative List Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Khanjar (dagger) session will see students creating a version of this traditional tool and weapon out of aluminium foil, and the Tekkiye workshop will teach the skill of colouring textiles. In addition, the Falcon Burqa session offers the chance to design falcon masks using paper and leather.

Al Jahili Fort hosted the ‘Night at the Fort’ event on 28 February, under the theme ‘Desert Bedouins’. Participants had the chance to explore Al Jahili Fort and experience the life and customs of traditional Bedouins. The event included a number of activities: ‘Boxes from the Past’, an introduction to the collection of heritage items at the Fort; ‘Shadows’, where participants design and create shades that reflect elements from the desert culture and landscape; as well as an ‘Illuminated Painting’ activity, where participants were able to create vibrantly-coloured depictions of desert life.

Al Qattara Arts Centre also hosted the ‘Young Archaeologist’ programme, which took take place from 5-17 March. The two-week event featured hands-on workshops to raise awareness about archaeology, and the tools used to dig, clean, and renovate antiquities.

At Al Ain Palace Museum, ‘Weekends at the Palace’, was held from 21-22 February, mixing entertainment and educational activities to demonstrate what  life in the UAE was like in bygone days. The event explored aspects of Emirati life in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, through interactive activities and anecdotes about the social bonds common to young people of those eras.

The event featured a traditional market, studio, and coffee shops, as well as collections of old magazines,  cameras and toys such as the traditional games, AlKayram and Merrihana (swing).

Activities included a traditional Al Harbiyah performance, where two lines of men facing one another hold canes or rifles which they swing in harmony. Al Azi traditional poetry recitations were also performed.

The studio at ‘Weekends at the Palace’ gave visitors the opportunity to take memorable pictures dressed in traditional Emirati attire. The event also featured an open-air cinema which screened popular old black-and-white Indian and Egyptian  films, and sports such as wrestling and boxing.

The Department of Culture and Tourism conserves and promotes the heritage and culture of Abu Dhabi emirate and leverages them in the development of a world-class, sustainable destination  of distinction that enriches the lives of visitors and residents alike. The Department manages the emirate’s tourism sector and markets the destination internationally through a wide range of activities aimed at attracting visitors and investment. Its policies,  lans and programmes relate to the preservation of heritage and culture, including protecting archaeological and historical sites and to developing museums, including the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Zayed National Museum and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.

 The Department  of Culture and Tourism supports intellectual and artistic activities and cultural events to nurture a rich cultural environment and honour the emirate’s heritage. A key role played by the Department is to create synergy in the destination’s development through close co-ordination with its wide-ranging stakeholder base.

Last month, the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, DCT Abu Dhabi, marked International Tourism Guide Day, which takes place every year on 21st February, with a special celebratory event at Manarat Al Saadiyat, which also honoured dedicated tour guides across the emirate, according to WAM.

Emirati tourist guides, who have participated with DCT Abu Dhabi in the successful Emirati Experience initiative, were recognised for their commitment, along with other licensed tour guides who were rewarded for 10 years’ worth of service.

“There is no doubt that tourist guides are a vital component in our toolkit for promoting our extraordinary emirate to visitors to our shores,” said Ali Al Shaiba, Acting Executive Director of Marketing and Communication Sector at DCT Abu Dhabi.

“They are the front-line ambassadors for Abu Dhabi, showcasing as they do our rich history and heritage, opening up the treasure chest of our culture to an international audience keen to know more about not only our history and heritage, but also about the more modern attractions we have added to our extraordinary destination,” he added.