Learn a thing or two about Emirati's Culture
with Maitha Al Mansouri
Every month, our Emirati Advisor, Maitha Al Mansouri, shares with us a thing or two about local culture and heritage. We have made them available in PDF version to be downloaded.
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Traditional Remedies
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| The use of herbs and spices has always been widely
appreciated in this region. In Emirati culture, natural
ingredients serve both as healing medicines and as
organic food flavorings for several local dishes. |
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Traditional Emirati Dance
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| What qualities make a culture seem remarkable and beautiful? Would you say the clothes, or maybe the food? |
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Abayas
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| Whatever their age, ladies in the UAE have an incredible love for abayas. More precisely, they love the vogue of these particular pieces of clothing. |
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Arabic Music
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| The principal instrument of Arabic music is the oud. Listening to an oud player takes you back to the golden age of Arabic music. |
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Authentic Emirati Dishes
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| Meat is the main ingredient in many of our dishes, such as Harees, which is one of the most popular Emirati dishes, even with foreigners. |
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Arabian Daggers
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| All traditional clothing requires a beautiful set of accessories to complete an outfit, and you can tell a lot about someone's culture from the ornaments they wear. |
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A Night in The Desert
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| The beautiful sands of the Emirates are like waves going over the land. You can see 4x4s riding those dunes like they are roller coasters. |
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Traditional Footwear
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| When you think of footwear, do you think of Louboutins, or some other French fashion designer? Naturally we do, because for Emiratis, footwear is just as important as clothes. |
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Camel Beauty Pageants
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| We've all heard of Miss World or Miss Universe, but have you ever heard of a beauty pageant for camels? |
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Summer Food in the UAE
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| There are many types and shapes of dates, and each has its own name. The date, or rutab as we call it, consists of two parts. |
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Names & Tribal Kinship
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| Most of the tribes originated from different parts of the UAE. For instance, some are from the western region (like Liwa and Bd'aa Zayed), Al Ain, or around the seven Emirates. |
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Henna
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| Henna is one of the customary traditions here in the UAE.
From the old days up to our time, ladies put on henna as
part of their preparations for Eid, weddings, engagements
and most special events. |
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Arabic Calligraphy
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| Arabic calligraphy is a well known art. When I see Arabic calligraphy, I instantly remember Mohammed Al Mandi, one of the most talented calligraphers in the Middle East. |
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Falcon Hunting
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| Falconry is a sport practiced with love by Bedouins. However, people in the past hunted with falcons to supply them with food. |
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Emirati Sweets
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| During the Eid al-Adha holiday season Oasis Living was invited to taste some traditional Emirati, Eid treats at the home of Reem Al Mansouri. |
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