Zayed National Museum to showcase integral role Emirati women have played shaping the UAE

New cultural institution on Saadiyat Island set to highlight leadership shown by females over many generations to unite communities and develop the country

Amna Al Hammadi and Fatema Al Hammadi say women's stories will be highlighted at the soon-to-open Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi. Antonie Robertson / The National

Testimonies from Emirati women will inform many of the planned exhibitions and projects at the soon-to-open Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi.

Collecting these first-hand accounts over the past year has taken museum curator Fatema Al Hammadi across the UAE. From interviews conducted in the oasis of Al Ain to the rugged mountains of Fujairah and the remote coastal villages of Ras Al Khaimah, it has been a journey of discovery for the Abu Dhabi resident. What she has found is that the UAE’s growth has been deeply rooted in the stoicism and leadership of Emirati women.

“I am not talking about the recent past, but ancient history as well,” she explains ahead of Emirati Women’s Day on Wednesday. “We noticed how the Emirati woman has always been an active participant in the community. In the simplest terms, it was our mothers who really took care of our communities.

“When our forefathers left home for months at a time for pearl diving or maritime trade trips, it was the mothers who took care of the homes. They raised the family and, in some cases, were the family doctor, using the surrounding herbs as medicine. Today, we see Emirati women excelling at every level in the UAE and globally, but that essence of leadership is rooted in our history.”

Fatema Al Hammadi is museum curator at the soon-to-open Zayed National Museum. Antonie Robertson / The National

Through these interviews, Fatema has also been able to outline some of the social and cultural aspects of historical Emirati communities. “A lot of that is determined by geographical locations,” she says. “When we talk about the UAE's heritage, it's not just one thing.

“There is a rich maritime heritage because of the communities that lived by the sea, and there is also a land heritage because of those who lived in the mountains. These environments are very different and have limited resources, so these stories showed me how our past communities were able to endure by adapting and thriving.”

The Zayed National Museum will highlight how UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, was able to unite the country’s disparate communities to form a federation in 1971.

“We have a shared language, heritage and history – and that’s what our father, Sheikh Zayed, was able to achieve,” Fatema says. “He united us all. Going on these expeditions really reinforced that for me because no matter where I went, we all followed the same values that Sheikh Zayed taught us.”

Amna Al Hammadi, who is not related to Fatema, is the museum’s audience engagement lead and is spearheading outreach efforts to engage Emirati senior citizens and people of determination. According to the Sharjah resident, Emirati voices that have, until now, been largely inaccessible will also contribute to the curatorial plans for the new museum on Saadiyat Island.

“This is also personal to me as we have mothers here in the museum who have children of determination, and we always want to make sure they are involved in everything,” she says. “I believe that museums and cultural institutions can play a more proactive role in engaging with this important community, as well as the elderly.

“Too often, these responsibilities are left to schools or other organisations, which view a trip to a museum as just a checklist item. We want to change that by personally engaging with them and creating experiences tailored for them, as the museum also belongs to them.”

Amna Al Hammadi is the audience engagement lead at the soon-to-open Zayed National Museum. Antonie Robertson / The National

Amna says a permanent programme catering to people of determination is in the works, created with input from families, educators and curators. “I want people to know that there will be a programme or event specifically for them at the museum so they can plan accordingly,” she says. “And these programmes will be for the whole family, meaning that parents can be there with their children to experience the museum together.”

When it comes to engaging with Emirati senior citizens, Amna notes how these exchanges are a rarity within the international museum landscape. “It’s special for a national museum to discuss events with visitors who actually experienced them,” Amna says. “That’s why I consider our Emirati senior citizens the most fortunate of all because they truly understand what happened and their insights need to be nourished and cherished.”

This is what the new Zayed National Museum will look like when complete. Photo: DCT Abu Dhabi

Being part of the Zayed National Museum’s opening team feels like a homecoming for both Fatema and Amna. For the former, it marks the culmination of an academic and personal quest to learn more about her homeland.

“I've always been curious about our history since I was a child,” Fatema recalls. “I remember going with my mother to visit the elderly in our community and I loved hearing their stories about Sheikh Zayed. I even remember seeing him pass by our neighbourhoods when he visited Al Dhafra.

“All these stories about true leadership and how this once-desert land became green inspired me to learn more about Emirati history. So coming here after finishing university just feels like a blessing.”

A journalism and communication graduate, Amna believes that the Zayed National Museum itself is also story worth telling. “A lot of the time, the UAE is known for achieving global standards and exceeding them,” she says. “When it comes to museums, I hope we can now set benchmarks for their role in the community.

“We want to show that you can bring in people who might not traditionally visit cultural institutions. We need to fully integrate them into the cultural fabric, and this involves not only creating programmes but also ensuring that the museum’s offerings are accessible to all, regardless of their background or circumstances.”