The Watani Family Camp ends after attracting thousands of visitors from different nationalities

The Family Camp was organized by Watani, the national programme for social development, to give residents and visitors the opportunity to experience life in the UAE as it was before the arrival of sky scrapers and the commercial boom. The Camp was one of the major highlights of this year's Dubai Shopping Festival.

The Watani Family camp was launched on the 15th of January and in its eight week duration, attracted thousands of visitors of different nationalities who enjoyed a family day out in the desert, experiencing traditional activities and connecting with the local culture.

Donna Burfield, a British national living in Dubai and one of many expat visitors to the camp stated, "The camp gave my family a unique insight in to Emirati culture which we would not otherwise have received."

The camp also received visits from several government, private sector and non-government organizations who chose to visit the camp to enhance family connectivity amongst employees and beneficiaries. Some organizations include the Abu Dhabi Pension Fund, the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department and Zayed Orphanage.

Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri of the DNRD said about his organization's experience in the camp, "We are always keen to support our staff and empower them by creating a positive work environment. It is also part of our ongoing endeavors to support all initiatives aimed at promoting the UAE culture and heritage, in line with Watani program's objectives."

Some highlights of the Camp include the launch of the Ministry of Social Affairs' 'Tawaleef' program, a program aimed at increasing social integration of the elderly population; the collaboration with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority to make excursions to the camp part of the school curriculum; and the visit of His Highness Sheikh Majid bin Mohamed bin Rashid al Makhtoum, under whose patronage the camp was held.

The Camp program regularly featured educational and fun activities designed to give guests a unique insight into the traditional life of the UAE. These activities included interactive seminars on traditional lifestyle such as traditional medicines, pearl diving, falconry, and fishing, reenactments of cultural celebrations such as the Shuhouh and Bedouin weddings, and traditional dance performances.

"We are delighted that the Family Camp has been such a great success. The Camp has offered UAE residents of all nationalities the opportunity to experience life in the UAE before the oil boom and Emiratis a chance to return to their cultural roots. We are looking forward to providing an equally great program for DSS," commented Ahmed Al Mansoori, Director General of the Watani Programme.