• Home

Heritage Village comes alive with 'Forever Dubai'

"The Heritage Village has created a special line-up of events that showcase the UAE tradition. All the visitors are being greeted with traditional incense and roses - a welcome which is common for important guests for every UAE household," Mr bin Damlook said. The cultural calendar of the Heritage and Diving Village includes several intriguing insights. Supported with exhibitions to demonstrations, the Village comes alive with the renderings of the folkloric performers and the traditional bands.

Demonstrations of the skill of pottery making, pearl diving and traditional farming practices are interspersed with performances of the Al Yowla, a popular dance form performed by local adults and children and the Al Toumina, a religious celebration that showcases the joy of the local children as they recite verses from the Holy Quran. Those wishing to take back a piece of the UAE heritage can buy from the traditional market places within the Village that sell classic antique items, traditional Arabic medicinal herbs and a variety of local curios. Local perfumery has also been highlighted.

Visitors can also see how local craftsmen used to fashion raw metals to create the perfect sword or how leather was tanned, as well as numerous other Arabic feats of craftsmanship at their very best.

As a special treat, visitors to the Village can also enjoy fresh UAE oysters and even try their luck to win a pearl. The experience also showcases how oysters are farmed, how they are harvested, and the great lengths Dubai's pearl fishermen used to go to years ago to farm one of the city's most precious resources.

Demonstrations also highlight the distinct ways of three lifestyle groups - the sea farers, the mountain dwellers and the Bedouin communities and their traditions. The sea faring communities, for instance showcase, how the dhow, a traditional sailing craft of the Arab Seafarers is built. Of course, the overall experience is complemented with experiences such as camel and horse riding.

Forever Dubai is a unique tourism initiative created by DTCM to promote Dubai as a shopping destination as well as to reinforce the city's reputation as the City of Gold.

Alongside the cultural show, Forever Dubai features a citywide sales initiative, giving any person who buys goods and services worth a minimum of Dh200 ($55), a chance to win a grand prize of 25kg of gold on the night of September 26. Raffle coupons will be available at over 1,000 retail outlets throughout Dubai.

• UAE