Abu Dhabi is a fine example of how well an indigenous community which survived an adverse environment for thousands of years by observing a strict tribal code could absorb tremendous change of lifestyle and produce the best of two worlds within decades. Today, the indigenous values, heritage and culture which were refined by the adoption of Islam over the past millennium or so, continue to thrive notwithstanding the ultra modern look, infrastructure and facilities and the cosmopolitan, moderately liberal lifestyle that characterise Abu Dhabi.

 

Despite the limitations of a mainly desert environment and a semi-nomadic lifestyle that prevailed up to the 20th Century, Abu Dhabi has a rich past evidenced by scores of restored mud fortresses across the emirate and remains of an underground irrigation system in Al-Ain oasis, which has been continuously inhabited for more than 4,000 years and is considered as the old cultural centre of the emirate.

 

Abu Dhabi’s cultural life is rooted in a long tradition of literary work, horseback riding, falconry, traditional artwork and the cultural exchange brought about by trade routes. Abu Dhabi museums provide visitors with a glimpse of the emirate’s cultural life, history and heritage.

 

 

The people’s way of life in Abu Dhabi had been shaped by centuries of explicit efforts to tame a harsh environment, educate the young, engage in trade, and most importantly, to follow and promote the Islamic faith. The Emarati’s Quran-based values, which advocate, amongst other things, generosity and charity, make Abu Dhabi a peaceful and ideal place to raise a family and foster healthy cultural exchange.

 

Indeed, Islamic beliefs permeate every facet of the society from the local dress code to the manner in which financial affairs are conducted. Family plays a focal part in the social, political and economic interplay of the emirate, where children are provided with ample opportunities to explore their interests. Women in Abu Dhabi are given an equal right to education and employment, with an increasing number of local women with university degrees entering the workforce in recent years.

 

Emiratis are generally warm, extremely hospitable and respectful. It is customary for locals to offer their guests refreshments or tea or to invite them for a meal during a visit. Declining either is considered rude.

 

Openly admiring an object (say vase or piece of furniture) in the host’s house renders him or her honour-bound to present the same as a gift to the guest, which begets a gift of similar value or stature from the guest at a later stage or time.

 

Local men and women in Abu Dhabi are easily distinguishable from expats because of their traditional dress: men wear Dishdasha, an ankle-length, collarless gown that is usually white, matched with headdresses (guthra), while women wear black Abayas over their clothing. Elderly married women sometimes wear the burkha, or a special facial covering, whenever they go to public places. Modesty as well as adaptability to the weather are key elements that have defined these traditional costumes.