Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum officially inaugurated the Heritage Village at The Walk at JBR on Thursday, Feb 4. The venue is organized by the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing and is one of the attractions at The Walk during the 15th edition of Dubai Shopping Festival.
Sheikh Mansour was accompanied by Ibrahim Saleh, Coordinator General of the Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE), in addition to Ibrahim Yaqoot, DTCM Executive Director Corporate Support, and Khalid Ghareeb, Head of DTCM events during DSF. Sheikh Mansour was taken on a tour of the venue and also met with the various participants at the Heritage Village.
Ibrahim Saleh said, “The Walk at JBR is an ideal venue for an initiative such as the Heritage Village due its ability to reach out to a multicultural audience, especially during DSF. Visitors to The Walk can now explore Emarati culture and heritage in an engaging way through live workshops, performances, and exhibitions, and discover a Dubai that is not only a developed and a leading city in the world today but one that is also deeply rooted in its traditions and customs.”
Consisting of various heritage and cultural activities, the Heritage Village includes various exhibitions that narrate the local customs and tradition. The sport of falcon hunting is one of the fascinating exhibitions as visitors are allowed to hold the falcons and take the opportunity to photograph the moment. Moreover, visitors can also head to a unique pearl exhibition that narrates the history of the pearl industry. Horse riding is a main attraction in the Heritage Village and visitors can go for a tour around the specified area in The Walk.
For a taste of authentic Emarati cuisine, visitors can head to the area where local women cook Arabic sweets in addition to weaving baskets, handy fans, carpet, hats and house decors. Henna painting and Arabic calligraphy are also part of the display.
An Arabic majlis at the Heritage Village in The Walk treats guests with Arabic hospitality, traditional food, and coffee. The Heritage Village is also lined up with bazaars where people can buy traditional handicrafts, clothes, and food.
A stage inside the venue hosts traditional performances such as the Ayalla, and folklore music such as Al Harbiyah and Al Liwa. The stage is used for children's shows, competitions and games as well. Other shows involve the Al Hadher mock wedding cermony and mock bedouin wedding ceremonies. The Heritage Village is located next to the Hilton Hotel, and daily festivities start from 5pm running until 10pm.
