Department of Culture and Tourism to launch Traditional Handicrafts Festival

To celebrate the UAE’s heritage with a series of competitions, performances and activities, Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi will launch the new edition of the Traditional Handicrafts Festival in Al Ain for its fourth edition from 1st to 18th November.

The Traditional Handicrafts Festival represents an integral part of the UAE’s culture and history, shaped by the land and desert landscape, and reviving its skillful ingenuity and traditional value in the hearts of the nation.

The festival, which will be held at Al Qattara Souq, will highlight the importance of traditional craftsmanship, a vital element of the UAE’s national identity and Emirati heritage, and support efforts to preserve, revive, and transfer skills to future generations.

This festival is also aimed at promoting Al Ain as a leading traditional cultural tourist destination that attracts people of all ages and features a wide-range of activities and events.

The festival’s activities will recall traditional handicrafts that had functional roles in the past, as well as encourage innovation in preserving tangible and intangible heritage elements.

Speaking on the occasion, Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director-General of the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi, said, "This festival celebrates symbols of everyday life in the purest yet most intricate elements of Emirati culture and heritage. It brings familiarity and a sense of community, through traditional products, but also through documenting the invaluable wealth of knowledge and skills that are passed down from one generation to the other."

"With our cultural programmes, we are implementing an ambitious strategy aimed at safeguarding and promoting our heritage and its various elements, which includes traditional handicrafts and where such products were used by our ancestors for their daily needs."