Zayed National Museum has announced its first temporary exhibition, exploring more than 7,000 years of camel history and the animal's significance in Emirati culture.
Tracks Through Time: The Camel in Society, Trade and Art will open in early December, coinciding with the Abu Dhabi museum's first anniversary.
The exhibition will trace the camel's role in trade, society and artistic expression, from its presence in the region thousands of years ago to contemporary traditions such as racing and beauty competitions.
Among the highlights will be the first public display of archaeological evidence of an extinct wild camel species. These include bones discovered in Baynunah in Abu Dhabi, from between 4500 and 4000BC, and Bronze Age remains from Al Sufouh in Dubai, dating to between 2000 and 1300BC.
Domesticated camel bones from Saruq Al Hadid in Dubai will also be displayed, offering some of the world's earliest evidence of the transition from wild camels to domesticated animals.
The artefacts are on loan from the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, and the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.
“We are excited to present our first temporary exhibition, which celebrates the camel's profound significance in Emirati culture and the broader story of the UAE,” says Peter Magee, director of the Zayed National Museum.
He says the exhibition draws on archaeological research to explore the relationship between humans and camels, from early domestication to the prestige of Al Hejin racing and Mazayna beauty competitions.
Other objects include camel rock artwork from Fujairah dating back 3,000 years, a rare children's book from the 1840s detailing camel species and their uses and UAE postage stamps featuring the animal.
Archival photographs, film footage and oral testimonies from camel herders will offer further insight into the animal's place in daily life.
Recordings of Taghrooda, a form of Bedouin poetry, and Alheda'a, the traditional practice of camel calling, will also feature. Both are recognised by Unesco as intangible cultural heritage.
The exhibition will be accompanied by workshops, guided tours and activities as part of the museum's first anniversary celebrations, alongside a dedicated retail offering inspired by the exhibition's themes.
Tracks Through Time: The Camel in Society, Trade and Art opens at Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi in early December
