The Qasr Al Hosn Festival, arranged by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), exists as part of its public engagement programme intangible cultural heritage components that have actually been acknowledged by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Providing visitors a complete immersive cultural experience, the Qasr Al Hosn Festival program is currently hosting live exhibits of Majlis, Gahwa, Al Razfa, Falconry, Al Taghrooda, Al Ayyala and Al Sadu. All these cultural practices are integrated in a range of interactive activations and workshops throughout the Festival in the different popular zones - Desert, Oasis, Marine and Abu Dhabi Island, as well as in the Cultural Foundation and Qasr Al Hosn Fort.

Reem al Mansouri, Public Engagement Programmer at TCA Abu Dhabi said: "We take pride in the fact that Qasr Al Hosn Festival is the personification of our effort as a nation to protect our heritage. Preservation experts are working relentlessly to safeguard the Qasr Al Hosn Fort and the Cultural Foundation Building. In parallel, a wide program curated by cultural and heritage experts is showing our intangible heritage and by passing vital understanding to generations who will bring this nation's tradition into the future.".

Visitors can experience and be exposed to the 7 cultural practices represented on the UNESCO list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:.

Majlis, or 'place of sitting' is a community location where people can participate in stories, arguments and socialise. As a conventional technique of understanding sharing, Al Majlis defines the essence of culture, interaction and neighborhood in Emirati society and plays an essential function in the transmission of oral heritage. Visitors can acquire special personal recollections of the history of the Fort and the UAE at a variety of websites across the Festival grounds.

The 'Gahwa' (or Arabic coffee) experience, established in a lovely modern setting of the Cultural Foundation Building, commemorates the intangible heritage of Emirati coffee making and symbolises kindness and hospitality in Arab societies. Visitors will have the chance to learn all about the shared coffee drinking tradition and community values.

Al Razfa, a traditional performing art that integrates music, chanted poetry and balanced movement originally utilized in success celebrations in the UAE, is now thought about a popular type of neighborhood celebration. Visitors will get to see Al Razfa often throughout the Festival and comprehend how brand-new generations are securing this custom through community observation and involvement.

In the cultural custom of Falconry, falconers establish a strong and spiritual bond with their falcons, as they train and look after them. Visitors will get an opportunity to deal with the falcons to understand how the abilities of falconry are handed down and taught as a cultural custom, take pleasure in an exhibit from the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital and learn more about the Sheikh Zayed Falcon Release Programme.

Visitors will also witness the distinguished Emirati conventional performance, Al Ayyala, which is represented by two rows of guys dealing with each other holding bamboo sticks as they chant poetry and move rhythmically to the beat of a drum. The performance symbolises the love and loyalty of a tribe to its country. Nowadays, it is performed in national celebrations and weddings.

Al Taghrooda is a kind of shouted poetry that is considered a standard performing art and a symbol of cultural imagination of the UAE. Bedouins would chant poetry on camelback to amuse each other and as a way of wasting time, or to produce social bonds at tribal celebrations, wedding events or around the campfire.

Practiced by ladies in rural neighborhoods of the UAE, Al Sadu is a distinct form of weaving and involves the making of fine furniture, in addition to ornamental devices including lines and geometric patterns in vibrant standard colours. Visitors to the Festival can learn about the value of this cultural practice and the complex social interaction in between the ladies as they weave. This practice remains to be passed from generation to generation.

More on the UNESCO's 'Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity'.
UNESCO's Representative List acknowledges intangible cultural practices as crucial traditions such as music, poetry and dance that need to be maintained. The List includes what is described as "intangible cultural heritage"- the cultural traditions, practices, and expressions that are passed down through generations within a culture. The List serves to raise awareness of the significance of these cultural practices along with to protect these traditions against the ever-growing globalisation.

The Qasr Al Hosn Festival is open daily from 4-11pm till 13 February.