16th Al-Dhafra Festival starts Sunday

The 16th Al Dhafra Festival, which begins Sunday and continues until Feb. 2, aims to preserve and develop heritage activities and enable camel owners to continue the tradition of breeding and caring for camels. (WAM)

• Festival continues until Feb. 2 as part of Abu Dhabi’s camel beauty contest season
• Organizing committee chairman hails UAE leadership’s support for heritage preservation projects

AL-DHAFRA, UAE: Competitions and activities of the 16th Al-Dhafra Festival begin on Sunday as part of Abu Dhabi’s camel beauty contest season.
The festival, held under the patronage of UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, will continue until Feb. 2 in Madinat Zayed, the Emirates News Agency reported on Saturday.
Organized by the Abu Dhabi Cultural Programs and Heritage Festival committee, with strategic partner ADNOC, the festival aims to preserve and develop heritage activities, and enable camel owners to continue the tradition of breeding and caring for camels.
The festival also highlights the camel’s role in Emirati and Gulf culture.
Faris Khalaf Al-Mazrouei, the committee chairman, hailed the UAE leadership’s support for heritage preservation projects and festivals.
He also praised the leadership’s support for falconry competitions, and purebred Arabian horse and heritage competitions, which make the capital a unique role model in the field of organizing heritage festivals.
Al-Mazrouei said that since its first edition in 2008, the festival has been a key pillar in preserving Emirati heritage and traditions for generations to come.