Culture & Heritage |
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Culture and heritage are crucially important aspects of the UAE Government’s development priorities. Since it is a relatively young country with a growing youthful population, the older generation is deeply concerned that the strengths of character and identity that were nurtured by the lifestyle, customs and traditions of the past could be lost. There is good cause for this concern, especially with the pervading influence of satellite television and the Internet, but there is also considerable cause for optimism: the context may have altered but core values have been preserved.
As a visit to a local school or activity group is likely to confirm, cultural ethnicity is alive and well in terms of Emirati music, dance, poetry, story-telling, art and sports such as falconry, camel-racing, and sailing. Part of the process has involved making sure that physical evidence of the UAE’s rich heritage is not lost. Preservation of many of its unique archaeological and architectural sites and its manuscripts has been given top priority. Literature and customs are widely studied in schools, while museum displays, heritage villages and the rebuilding of vanished monuments have helped to create a context and feel for this cultural legacy. |
Contemporary activities, such as theatre, film and art, also play important roles in nurturing the cultural side of Emirati society and enhancing the widespread spirit of well-being that both Emiratis and expatriates enjoy in the UAE. In addition to the large number of renovated old forts and heritage buildings that interpret the past, the UAE also has a rich selection of purpose-built museums and interpretive centres dedicated to specific subjects, such as the discovery of petroleum, archaeology, natural history, science, popular medicine, astronomy, numismatics, philately, Islam, traditional jewellery, policing and aviation. Playing a central role in guarding the nation’s heritage and helping to stimulate cultural awareness are many cultural organisations.
Prominent among these are the recentlyestablished Emirates Foundation and Abu Dhabi Culture and Heritage Authority, the Emirates Heritage Club in Abu Dhabi, the Zayed Centre for Heritage and History (a subsidiary of the Emirates Heritage Club) in Al Ain, the Dubai Cultural Council, the Cultural and Scientific Forum in Dubai, the Department of Culture and Information in Sharjah, the Fujairah Cultural Organisation, the Studies and Archives Centre in Ra’s al- Khaimah and the Juma Al Majid Centre for Culture and Heritage, also in Dubai. Other institutions of importance to the cultural well-being of the country include the National Heritage Revival Organisation and the Marriage Fund, while there are numerous non-governmental organisations devoted to promoting cultural activities among the various expatriate communities. |
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Culture & Heritage |
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