Abu Dhabi: Exciting events lined up at Sheikh Zayed Festival this weekend

Festival also includes cultural pavilions for countries around the world.

Archery and shooting competitions

One of the most popular activities organized by the Festival, this weekend sees the final of the live Shooting Competition held by Al Forsan International Sports Resort at their pavilion on February 17. The competition is aimed at showcasing the participants’ shooting skills, and encouraging people who are interested in the sport, in addition to giving visitors exciting competitions with valuable gifts and prizes to be won.

The Archery Competition starts on February 18, with 5 arrows for each archer to shoot and points to be earned to decide the winners. The 50 competitors with the most points count will compete in the semi-final, from which 10 contestants will compete in the finals for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.

The entrance fee for the competition is Dh30 for the first 5 arrows (which can be repeated for an extra Dh30) and prizes for the winners will be announced later.

Loud & Proud

Traditional national costumes take centre stage in events organized by the Festival as they reflect heritage and cultural first and foremost, which is the reason behind the “Loud & Proud Traditional Costume Competition”, where participants wear their traditional national costumes and have a picture taken in the Festival before heading to the “Loud & Proud” booth beside the Emirates Fountain to submit their picture for the competition.

Al Wathba Custom Show

The Festival’s “Engine Battle” at Al Wathba Custom show will roar into action for the final round on February 20th where contestants will compete on customizing their automobile engines and tweaking their horsepower, giving car enthusiasts a show worth watching.

Al Badla Workshop

At the Department of Cultural and Tourism Pavilion, the Abu Dhabi Register of Artisans has organized "Al Badla Workshop”, with the aim of reviving the UAE’s invaluable cultural heritage and rich history. The workshop started on February 14th and continue until mid-March.

“Al Badla” or “traditional yarn spinning” is a craft on the verge of vanishing altogether, therefore the Department of Culture and Tourism is keen on providing the workshop at the Sheikh Zayed Festival to inform people about the traditional handicrafts of the region. The training workshop is given by experienced “Badla” trainers who seek to transfer their experiences to new participants and refine the talents of participants who already practice the craft.

In addition to all these events, the Festival continues its huge program of daily and weekly shows and activities, such as the Roaming International Civilization Parade, Year of the 50 Zone, the Reach Campaign, and the Emirati Genome Program, which aims to develop a genetic map of individuals and integrate the collected data with health data to provide the best possible healthcare for citizens.

The Festival also includes cultural pavilions for many countries around the world, the Glow Garden, huge fireworks shows which visitors look forward to every Saturday, various gastronomic experiences with delicious foods and beverages to suit all tastes, and the Children’s Theatre, which present educational and entertaining shows and events for youngsters.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com