Spotlight on desert cultures and civilizations of the world

"While delegates from around the world will participate at the desert fiesta, the event offers a unique opportunity for Arab civilizations to celebrate and showcase their heritage to the world," said Dr. Mohammed bin Fahad, Chairman of the Zayed Prize and Vice Chairman of the World Deserts Foundation. "Our civilizations have developed and sustained themselves while dealing with rapid changes by using preservation as a tool to revitalise our natural heritage," he said.

"We are confident that this event will help us broaden awareness of our traditions and highlight the need to preserve our diverse heritage while at the same time providing a platform for cultures and civilizations from other parts of the world to showcase their traditions," Dr. bin Fahad said.

Events such as the desert festival will display the rich heritage of the 37 participating countries to present generations and emphasize the heritage and culture movement to a multi cultural audience through music, folklore, traditional games, competitions and handicrafts that are on display at the Dubai International Endurance City near Bab Al Shams.

Speaking on behalf of the department, DTCM Manager Events, Marwan Juma bin Beyat said, "We are committed to promoting, preserving and protecting the UAE's heritage. As an organisation, we take great pride in creating awareness among visitors and residents about the historic places and cultural resources that distinguish UAE culture from other countries through staging events, festivals and other resource development activities and effectively spearhead the promotion of Arab culture to the rest of the world," he remarked.

"Events such as the Desert Festival demonstrate the importance of our past for residents and share its uniqueness with visitors," Mr. bin Beyat stressed.

Culture and heritage play a very important role in all societies. The cultural landscape of a people tells the story of lessons learned from the past, of adaptations to the natural environment, and of lifestyles, aesthetic expression and social values. "Our culture is the very essence of our community fabric and pride," Mr. bin Beyat said.

Cultural and heritage tourism is currently a global phenomenon and one of the fast emerging and lucrative segments of the international travel industry. Most international trips now include a cultural component and this trend also coincides with an overall shift towards more educational and life enriching travel experiences.

Among the many interesting prospects of cultural and heritage tourism is its potential to generate travel during the shoulder or off-seasons as well as during prime vacation periods.