The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has unveiled a comprehensive calendar of events and activities highlighting the country's heritage and culture for the Dubai Shopping Festival this month.
"We won the award for the most innovative project during DSF 2001, with the Arabian Bedouin Festival and we will build further on our success by incorporating elements of originality and a traditional style of execution this year," said DTCM director operations and marketing, Mohammed Khamis bin Hareb. He said the genuine beauty and originality of the age-old Arabian Bedouin customs would be put on display during the month-long festival which will this year include participation of as many as 11 countries with three new participants - namely - Syria, Tunisia and Morocco. Bin Hareb said a series of exhibitions underlining life in the past would be held at the Shindagha heritage sites including subjects as distinct as gahwa (Arabic coffee), heritage sports, handicrafts, gold jewellery and marital documents among others. An exhibition of coins and currency will also be held with a one-day auction. Five per cent of the proceeds from the auction will go to handicapped children. A historically significant event will be the Ahmed bin Majed exhibition highlighting the efforts of UAE's explorers who facilitated Vasco Da Gama in reaching the Cape of Good Hope. Traditional games, competitions, handicrafts, traditional medicine corner and shops selling indigenous Arabic food will also be operational. Popular activities being repeated from last year will include a convention for poets scheduled to take place every Wednesday, daily boat-building demonstrations, parachuting displays, win-a-pearl competitions, traditional cooking competitions and police cavalry shows among others. Wedding enactments will provide an authentic visual delight, as 12 weddings will be re-enacted during the course of the month offering a look at customs and traditions from the past. The exhibition titled Embracing Heritage & History Exhibition will feature displays from eight different museums within the UAE. Children will be well catered for at the Shindagha heritage sites with a series of programmes, providing them an opportunity to be exposed to a variety of art forms as well as entertainment including heritage competitions, kids handicraft workshops and a climbing wall among others. Women will have every Tuesday of the month designated as a 'ladies day' with entrance to the Heritage and Diving Village and Arabian Bedouin Festival solely for women.