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Dubai: Living in the UAE doesn’t automatically mean knowing much about Emirati culture. Plenty of residents go years without sitting down to an Emirati meal, watching traditional weaving up close or seeing how the Gulf looked to the mapmakers of centuries past.
This new weekly guide picks one place in each emirate where you can do exactly that. This week: a conversation over an Emirati meal in old Dubai, a house of traditional crafts in Abu Dhabi, and a Sharjah centre holding centuries of Gulf history.
Dubai: a cultural meal at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Since 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding has worked under the motto “Open doors, open minds”, with the aim of building understanding between Emiratis and the international community. It is based in a restored wind-tower house in the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Its cultural meals are the simplest way in. Emirati presenters lead the conversation over a traditional spread, covering Emirati culture, the influence of Islam on local traditions, values and daily life. Guests are encouraged to ask questions, on anything they have wondered about but never had the chance to ask.
There are meals most days of the week. Breakfast runs on Mondays and Wednesdays at 9am, lunch from Monday to Thursday at 1pm, and brunch from Friday to Sunday at 10.30am. Tuesdays also bring Fuala, an Emirati tea time, and dinner.
Sessions need to be booked at least a day in advance, and dietary requirements should be shared 24 hours beforehand.
When: Breakfast Monday and Wednesday, 9am; lunch Monday to Thursday, 1pm; brunch Friday to Sunday, 10.30am
Where: House 26, Al Musallah Road, Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood
Price: Breakfast and brunch Dh130, lunch Dh145, Fuala Dh150, dinner Dh160 per person
Abu Dhabi: the House of Artisans at Qasr Al Hosn
Next to Qasr Al Hosn, the capital’s oldest building, the House of Artisans is dedicated to keeping Emirati crafts alive. It opened in April 2021 as part of the Department of Culture and Tourism’s efforts to preserve and promote Emirati heritage.
Three crafts sit at its centre. Al Sadu is a weaving technique practised by Bedouin women for centuries, turning camel hair and goat and sheep wool into tent walls, cushions, carpets and camel accessories. Talli is an ornamental braiding used to decorate women’s clothing. Khoos is the weaving of palm leaves into baskets and mats.
What sets it apart is the people. Visitors can meet the artisans working in the space and hear directly from them about how each craft is made. Workshops and demonstrations run alongside, including sessions in sadu, khoos and talli, as well as doll-making and pottery.
When: Open daily; check the Qasr Al Hosn website for this week’s workshop times
Where: House of Artisans, Qasr Al Hosn, Abu Dhabi
Price: Qasr Al Hosn admission is Dh30 for adults; some special workshops are charged separately
Sharjah: the Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi Centre
For anyone curious about how the UAE and the wider Gulf came to be, this is the place.
The Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi Centre for Gulf Studies sits at the entrance to University City, about 12km from central Sharjah. Much of what’s on display comes from the private collection of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, gathered over many years.
The collection is laid out across several halls. The Geographic Hall traces how knowledge of the Gulf developed through early printed maps, beginning in the Renaissance. Another hall is dedicated to the royal family of Sharjah, with rare photographs and a documentary film about Sharjah in 1937. There are also rare coins connected to the region and some of the earliest images of it.
Beyond the exhibition halls, the Centre has an archive library of rare historical publications on the Arabian Peninsula, where researchers can access more than one and a half million historical documents and records.
When: Weekdays, daytime; call ahead to confirm opening hours
Where: Northern entrance of University City, Sharjah
Price: Free
