Every nation is ultimately shaped by the stories it chooses to tell. In Abu Dhabi, our identity was forged long before libraries, archives or museums existed. Bedouin poets narrated the rhythm of desert life, while seafarers carried the memory of the coast through song, preserving knowledge, sharing values and strengthening a shared sense of belonging across generations.
Today, in a world defined by rapid transformation, these storytelling traditions are more vital than ever. They remain as expressions of identity, rooting us in our past, while also guiding how we imagine our future.
At a moment when global technological and social shifts are reshaping societies at unprecedented speed, storytelling serves as a compass. It is flexible enough to evolve with us, yet steady enough to anchor our collective identity.
In Abu Dhabi, the power of story has taken many forms, from the sung poems of pearl divers to the narratives housed within the museums of Saadiyat Cultural District. If our cultural heritage is a tapestry, oral storytelling was its first and most enduring thread, around which all others were woven.
Extensive accounts of the region’s history, customs, traditions, folk arts, local cuisine, crafts and rituals were passed down orally through the generations by storytellers and poets. We have inherited the verses of sea poets who performed the Nahma, a traditional maritime folk song of the Gulf region, as well as the Yamal, a form of Nahma sung while rowing during pearl diving expeditions.
Poetry, in particular, has long been a cornerstone of identity in our region. From pre-Islamic verse to the great poets of the Umayyad and Abbasid eras, poetry protected heritage and articulated the values of successive generations.
The value of poetry as something precious and profoundly connected to our land is beautifully conveyed in the first lines of the poem Whenever the Wind Blows, by the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
“Whenever the wind blows from Al Ain at night
As people sleep,
It carries fine lines of poetry, like great pearls and diamonds…”
This rich oral legacy gradually transitioned to the written word. Books were once rare treasures, treated as exquisite items, carefully preserved and shared. Earlier, the knowledge of our ancestors was primarily acquired orally from imams and Quran memorisation schools, where students learned the alphabet and basic arithmetic useful for trade. Even before the formation of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed called for the preservation of the nation’s cultural heritage, inspiring early efforts that would evolve into institutionalised cultural stewardship.
These endeavours were amplified by the sweeping cultural renaissance of the early 1970s, with the rapid establishment of schools, universities, radio and television stations. Television programmes, poets’ councils and newspaper supplements dedicated to Nabati poetry, a traditional form of popular Arabic verse known as “the people’s poetry”, were introduced, along with magazine sections focusing on popular traditions. Oral narratives began to transform into literature, recorded, archived and made accessible to future generations.
From the 20th century, with the establishment of heritage organisations and departments of culture, efforts to promote heritage beyond the nation’s borders intensified, fostering awareness of the UAE’s authentic history, culture and traditions.
Building on this legacy, DCT Abu Dhabi has introduced programmes and initiatives to preserve storytelling and ensure its transmission to future generations, promoting it across regional and international forums and organising conferences to advance its global presence.
Our Saadiyat Cultural District museums are now powerful storytellers, sharing Abu Dhabi’s identity, culture and values with the world. The recently opened Zayed National Museum narrates the story of the UAE and its people, showcasing the deep history of this land as well as its vibrant future.
Meanwhile, the neighbouring Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi tells the world’s story in incredibly innovative ways: from advanced depictions of the early universe to the powerful film showing how our planet has changed over billions of years or multisensory displays that light up children’s imaginations.
Since its establishment in 2021, the Arabic Language Centre has made significant strides in reviving and preserving cultural heritage. A case in point is the partnership with Amazon that has brought tradition and modernity together by digitising and expanding access to rich Arabic literary and cultural content.
Other initiatives include the Kanz Al Jeel and Sard Al Thahab awards, introduced to both recognise and incentivise poets, writers, storytellers, researchers, artists and translators whose work engages with literature and popular heritage.
As we move forward, it is important that we honour the memory of the earliest storytellers of this land, who gathered under open skies, sharing stories that strengthened bonds and affirmed a shared identity. The campfire and the majlis existed long before social media and 24/7 content, and they will always be a part of who we are.
They remind us that while we adapt to technological and social change, we will always stay true to the roots of our storytelling – the oral traditions of our ancestors.
