ABU DHABI // Visitors to Abu Dhabi Corniche can celebrate the legacy of Sheikha Fatima, Mother of the Nation, through historical exhibits, art markets and shopping venues.
The Mother of the Nation Festival kicked off on Thursday and continues from 4pm to midnight daily until April 2, on a 1.3-kilometre stretch of the Corniche, featuring hundreds of vendors and exhibitors.
The festival’s underlying theme is honouring the nation’s heritage and motherhood, which is highlighted by celebrating the legacy of Sheikha Fatima and her far-reaching contributions to the community, organisers said.
Central to that purpose is The Pavilion, an exhibition of her achievements that includes never-seen-before photographs, artwork and other displays that illustrate her contributions to the UAE and beyond.
In recognition of her work, she has received 500 awards, 30 of which were bestowed by the United Nations.
The 10-day festival also plays a role in developing the capital as a tourism destination, organisers said, and featured a number performances and modern attractions spread across five main areas – Beach Dining, Souq, Art, Conservation and Activities zones.
A central dining area “taking cues from Her Highness’ renowned hospitality” will include coffee, fresh juices, a showcase of locally-produced organic food, and food outlets.
The show Shama W Al Serdal will display the UAE’s pearl diving past, and musical entertainment, featuring the likes of the Emirates Youth Symphony Orchestra, Arabic Band Sadiq Jaafar, and DJ’s, will delight festival goers.
Following the environmental awareness displayed by Sheikha Fatima, the Conservation Zone will include a jeep safari to take young children on an educational journey. Other exhibits aimed to raise the public’s knowledge about endangered species and fisheries.
Rounding out the programme, on hand will be acrobatic performers, vintage car displays and art markets with colourful installations from up-and-coming local artists and craftspeople.
Entry to the festival costs Dh20 for adults and Dh10 for children under 12 years old. It is free for children under five.
Tickets include activities, workshops and performances in all zones.
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KEY DATES IN AMAZON'S HISTORY
July 5, 1994: Jeff Bezos founds Cadabra Inc, which would later be renamed to Amazon.com, because his lawyer misheard the name as 'cadaver'. In its earliest days, the bookstore operated out of a rented garage in Bellevue, Washington
July 16, 1995: Amazon formally opens as an online bookseller. Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies: Computer Models of the Fundamental Mechanisms of Thought becomes the first item sold on Amazon
1997: Amazon goes public at $18 a share, which has grown about 1,000 per cent at present. Its highest closing price was $197.85 on June 27, 2024
1998: Amazon acquires IMDb, its first major acquisition. It also starts selling CDs and DVDs
2000: Amazon Marketplace opens, allowing people to sell items on the website
2002: Amazon forms what would become Amazon Web Services, opening the Amazon.com platform to all developers. The cloud unit would follow in 2006
2003: Amazon turns in an annual profit of $75 million, the first time it ended a year in the black
2005: Amazon Prime is introduced, its first-ever subscription service that offered US customers free two-day shipping for $79 a year
2006: Amazon Unbox is unveiled, the company's video service that would later morph into Amazon Instant Video and, ultimately, Amazon Video
2007: Amazon's first hardware product, the Kindle e-reader, is introduced; the Fire TV and Fire Phone would come in 2014. Grocery service Amazon Fresh is also started
2009: Amazon introduces Amazon Basics, its in-house label for a variety of products
2010: The foundations for Amazon Studios were laid. Its first original streaming content debuted in 2013
2011: The Amazon Appstore for Google's Android is launched. It is still unavailable on Apple's iOS
2014: The Amazon Echo is launched, a speaker that acts as a personal digital assistant powered by Alexa
2017: Amazon acquires Whole Foods for $13.7 billion, its biggest acquisition
2018: Amazon's market cap briefly crosses the $1 trillion mark, making it, at the time, only the third company to achieve that milestone
The biog
Favourite pet: cats. She has two: Eva and Bito
Favourite city: Cape Town, South Africa
Hobby: Running. "I like to think I’m artsy but I’m not".
Favourite move: Romantic comedies, specifically Return to me. "I cry every time".
Favourite spot in Abu Dhabi: Saadiyat beach
