The launch of the activities of the first session of "Al Ain Heritage Festival"
Al Ain, January 31 / WAM / Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Al Ain Region, the activities of the first session of the “Al Ain Heritage Festival”, organized by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority at the Exhibition Grounds in Al Ain City, began this morning, under the slogan “Stories from Our Heritage”, and will continue until next February 9.
The organization of the festival comes within the framework of strengthening efforts to preserve the Emirati national heritage and consolidate its presence in society, in addition to highlighting the position of the city of Al Ain as a heritage incubator and a cultural and tourist destination that attracts visitors from inside and outside the country, through specific activities that reflect its historical and cultural depth.
The festival also contributes to enhancing and highlighting the commonalities and cultural diversity in the Arab region, through broad Gulf and Arab participation that contributes to strengthening cultural ties between peoples.
The first day of the festival witnessed the launch of a number of various heritage and artistic competitions. Entries were received for the Al Ain Elite Dates Decorating Competition, for which prizes worth 630,000 dirhams were allocated to ten winners, as well as entries for the Dates Packaging Competition “without additives,” and the Sidr Honey Competition. The results of the competitions will be announced tomorrow evening, Sunday.
The live drawing competition was also launched today, which is organized with the participation of a wide range of professional and amateur visual artists, with the aim of highlighting the importance of the visual and plastic arts as tributaries of the expression of the cultural and heritage identity of society. It is held within the “Art Exhibition” pavilion at the festival, which also includes entries from the photography competition.
The festival’s agenda, which opens its doors daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., includes the activities of the “World Heritage Village”, which includes pavilions for a number of Arab countries through which features of the popular heritage of those countries are displayed, including traditional arts, popular food, industries and handicrafts, allowing visitors to learn about the civilizational and cultural diversity in the region.
The festival also includes a number of heritage and artistic events and daily competitions, including the daily date auction, the “live cooking” competition in front of the public, the date market, the heritage market, the handicraft corner, the honey village, the pavilions of the participating entities, the arts oasis, falconry and saluki shows, the heritage barn, heritage performing arts, and other events that combine interest, entertainment and heritage knowledge.
The festival constitutes a vital platform that highlights the diversity and richness of Emirati heritage. It also carries an economic and developmental dimension represented in supporting artisans, productive families, and small business owners by providing platforms to display and market their products, and contributing to the sustainability of heritage crafts and transforming them into an economic resource that enhances community development.
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