AL AIN - The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, DCT Abu Dhabi, has announced that it is launching a series of cultural and community events at various cultural attractions in the Al Ain Region.

The series kicks off with the three-day ‘Weekend at the Oasis’, from 14th to 16th February, offering a family entertainment programme packed with cultural activities, interactive art workshops for children and heritage performances. The event takes place from 4pm to 10pm at Al Ain Oasis, the first site in the UAE to be included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Visitors can enjoy demonstrations of traditional performance arts and handicrafts inspired by the oasis. There will also be night tours to take visitors through the site’s farms with three travel options: horseback, bicycle or electric car, while mobile food trucks will serve a variety of dishes. Visitors can also enjoy film viewings or performances of traditional music by oud player Sabbar Suleiman at different locations around the oasis throughout the weekend.

The programme continues at Qasr Al Muwaiji, which will host the Royal Bisht Workshop on Tuesday, 19th February. The workshop will feature specialists who will familiarise participants with the methods of making the bisht, a luxurious and formal garment worn in GCC countries, in addition to showcasing as a number of royal bishts from the collection of the royal family, which are currently on display at Qasr Al Muwaiji. On Wednesday, the ‘Archaeological Excavation’ workshop will take visitors on an excavation experience which simulates a dig on a real archaeological site, under the supervision of an archaeological team from DCT Abu Dhabi.

There will be another event on Wednesday ‘Family Day’ which will include a wide range of activities such as free medical examinations for visitors and a series of art and educational workshops, covering topics such as recycling, calligraphy, oud playing, pottery, khos (dried palm frond) braiding and rope making.

The events are open to visitors of all ages, while the workshops will be free of charge.

© Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2019.