Young Emiratis make heritage trip by camel

The caravan is organised by the Hamdan bin Mohammed Heritage Center in collaboration with the Yemeni voyager Ahmed Al Qassemi.

15 young Emiratis set off on camel back from Al Nakhra early this morning on a 10-day trip through the UAE desert. Courtesy Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center

A 10-day camel trek began on Tuesday, taking young Emiratis on a journey to discover their heritage.

The camel caravan, organised by the Hamdan bin Mohammed Heritage Center in collaboration with the Yemeni voyager Ahmed Al Qassemi, took 15 young people from Al Naqba through the UAE desert. The initiative is to help the current generation discover and appreciate their heritage.

Mr Al Qassemi, has undertaken a number of trips across the world and has covered more than 40,000 kilometres to date. Participants on the 200km journey will use traditional navigational techniques such as maps and sun positions to guide them.

Under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, “The centre seeks to promote activities such as this camel trek that offer interesting and engaging opportunities to introduce young Emiratis to their heritage and culture”, said Abdullah bin Dalmouk, chief executive of the heritage centre. “Our goal is to instil a sense of belonging and pride and foster a stronger national identity among Emirati citizens, while at the same time creating inclusive opportunities to showcase the country’s heritage to all residents and visitors to the UAE.”

The participants have received camel care training and lessons on map-reading and navigational techniques. The journey is being documented for cultural preservation purposes.

The centre also organises events and competitions as well as studies and specialised research for the preservation and documentation of the UAE’s national heritage. It acts as a data centre for researchers and the local community.