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Cultural Programme
The festival presents a cultural programme held at Madinat Zayed Public Park, offering a series of sessions that celebrate heritage, empower youth, and address community issues.
Voices Loved by People Programme
The Popular “Voices Loved by People" programme returns to Al Dhafra Book Festival for the third consecutive year, featuring special poetry sessions, hosting prominent poets from Al Dhafra, who will recite their poems and share the stories behind them.
Children & Youth Programme
The programme includes everything related to children and youth’s culture, nurturing the next generation, along with activities that spark their enthusiasm and contribute to developing their skills. It will be presented in a rich and diverse educational and entertaining framework, spread across several corners of the Festival, with each corner offering a unique and distinctive experience that targets various aspects of children and youth’s interests.
Educational Programme
Challenges, competitions, and educational performances, in addition to collaborations with educational institutions as part of the “On the Path of Knowledge” initiative.
Hadirat Baynounah Programme
For the second time at the Al Dhafra Book Festival, story lovers gather in "Al Hadirah", where they enjoy traditional Arabic coffee brewed over an open fire and listen to storytellers weaving their beautiful tales, reliving memories in an intimate, heritage-filled atmosphere.Don't miss the "Hadirat Baynunah" sessions, offering a truly unique experience.
"Al Hadirah" is a traditional gathering place for the Bedouins, serving as the community council (majlis) of the past. It is a space personally defined by the individual and surrounded by branches of the "Murrakh" tree, which grows in the United Arab Emirates. Other tree branches, such as "Samar" and "Ghaf", are used to support the "Murrakh" branches because they cannot withstand strong winds and harsh weather conditions on their own.
The structure of the "Al Hadirah" is typically built in an open circle on one side, ensuring that the open side is not facing the direction of the wind. It is usually positioned to the east, as the prevailing winds in the UAE are generally from the southeast. This design also helps protect those inside from dust and sand carried by the wind. Many people use "Al Hadirah" during the winter as a causey space for lighting a fire and preparing coffee in a "Dallah" (traditional coffee pot), making it a central space for storytelling and recounting events from the distant past.
Flavourful Nights Programme
A new programme at the Al Dhafra Book Festival that offers live cooking sessions in front of the audience, presented by chefs from the Al Dhafra region and local productive families.Don't miss the chance to taste the most famous traditional local dishes and learn other special and unique recipes.
