Al Dhafra Book Festival 2024 spotlights the antiquity and evokes the heritage of Al Dhafra region

The Al Dhafra Book Festival 2024, organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), is deeply rooted in Emirati heritage and draws its identity and activities from the UAE’s traditions, crafts, and colloquial vocabulary.

 Every year, the festival emphasises the need to preserve local heritage and instil its values in future generations, in line with the Centre’s strategy to raise a generation that cherishes heritage as a key pillar of Emirati identity.

 This year, the festival celebrates the craft of ‘Sadu’ (traditional Arabic weaving), highlighting its symbolic significance in Emirati culture. The ALC selected Sadu to celebrate the heritage elements that form the backbone of the UAE’s national identity, underlining its enduring presence in the cultural scene as an artisanal craft included in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

 At the Public Park – Madinat Zayed in Al Dhafra, the festival’s visual identity comes to life with colourful banners and illustrations inspired by the Sadu patterns, a craft that has long been associated with the Bedouin lifestyle, and historically practiced by Emirati women to make tents and furnishings.

 In another nod to Emirati heritage, Al Dhafra Book Festival 2024 introduced Hadirat Baynounah, an event inspired by the traditional Bedouin neighbourhood majlis. The enclosure is an area bordered by branches of local trees that can  withstand the harsh climate, such as Al Markh. The circular structure is open to the east to shield its occupants from sand carried by the typically southeastern winds. Historically, Bedouins would gather in such enclosures around a fire to make coffee, socialise, tell stories, and exchange news.

 The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre intentionally selected the name ‘Hadirat Baynounah’ as it refers to one of Al Dhafra’s most prominent cities, Baynounah, a pastoral area known for its abundant water resources, with historical references suggesting the area was named for its central location between Bahrain and Oman.

 Furthermore, the festival’s main platform, which will host its daily events, is named ‘Rideem’, a scenic area in Liwa renowned for its stunning natural beauty.