In an exhibition that opened at Warehouse421, the wide-ranging significance of adornment in Emirati culture is explored in an original and compelling way at the Lest We Forget: Emirati Adornment: Tangible & Intangible exhibition. Courtesy of Lest We Forget
In an exhibition that opened at Warehouse421, the wide-ranging significance of adornment in Emirati culture is explored in an original and compelling way at the Lest We Forget: Emirati Adornment: TangShow more

The majlis: Join together and don’t forget the UAE’s culture



Adornment – the enhancement of one’s appearance through garments, jewellery, weapons, attributes, grooming and perfuming, etc – is a deep-rooted tradition in cultural, societal and religious groups around the world. It can signify many things, including economic status, profession, religious beliefs, educational level, nationality and aesthetic sensibility.

In an exhibition that opened at Warehouse421 on Saturday, and closes on August 27, the wide-ranging significance of adornment in Emirati culture is explored in an original and compelling way.

It shows how this universal inclination to adorn is expressed in a truly Emirati manner through heirloom and patriotic jewellery, Bedouin weapons, burqa, garments, henna, khol and perfumes.

As an Emirati woman, the process of adornment has important meaning to me when I recall both ordinary and celebratory occasions. As a girl I remember admiring my mother wearing traditional attire and jewellery for family weddings and Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha.

Working on this exhibition, I realise how deeply connected I am with other Emirati families through shared memories and experiences around adornment, past and present.

The Lest We Forget: Emirati Adornment: Tangible & Intangible exhibition, supported by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, is special to me because it explores the richness of tangible and intangible Emirati culture through modes of adornment on a personal level. The exhibition aims to collect authentic archival material and showcase artistic work created by emerging Emirati artists based on the Lest We Forget Archive. Designed to explore cultural heritage through vernacular memories, the book and exhibition examine who we are and where we came from, as well as valuable knowledge and skills that have been passed down from generation to generation.

Through a display of diverse objects brought to life by memories and reflections, the exhibition is thought-provoking. It sheds light on the identity of the people who created, wore and shared these precious, personal, tangible and intangible forms of adornment.

When heritage such as this is gathered and seen as a whole in the exhibition and book, one comes to understand and appreciate the complexity and beauty of Emirati adornment. To me, it is both profound and inspiring, as it highlights the importance of passing down cultural heritage from generation to generation in order to keep our traditions alive.

I am so proud to see the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation supporting grassroots initiatives like Lest We Forget, as together we are able to forge new and exciting ways to keep Emirati culture alive and accessible to all generations.

Echoing the foundation’s principle that knowledge and culture build bridges to understanding, it is also significant that initiatives such as Lest We Forget allow the Emirati community to share our rich culture with the broad range of nationalities who call the UAE their home.

It is these cultural bridges that both bind and strengthen us as a “united” nation, and it is these strong values of humility, respect and a shared sense of pride that ultimately lead to greater cultural understanding around the world.

I firmly believe that our culture is here to be shared. We welcome people of all ages, nationalities and cultures from across the Emirates to visit the exhibition, to share in our endeavour of passing on knowledge of Emirati culture, and to ultimately reflect on the shared society that we live in today.

Safiya Al Maskari is the project coordinator of the Lest We Forget initiative. Visit www.warehouse421.ae for details.

If you have a good story to tell or an interesting issue to debate, contact Amanda Tomlinson on atomlinson@thenational.ae.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg

Rating: 4/5

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

if you go

The flights 

Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning. 

The trains

Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.

The hotels

Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Could%20We%20Be%20More
%3Cp%3EArtist%3A%20Kokoroko%3Cbr%3ELabel%3A%20Brownswood%20Recordings%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A