Tourism & Hospitality | Tuesday 5 May, 2015 2:00 am |

Visitors from the region and from around the world take advantage of the opportunity to learn about Emirati culture and heritage

The Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center's pavilion at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2015 emerged as a major attraction on the first day of the exhibition as it received a large number of domestic and international visitors interested in exploring the UAE’s heritage and cultural traditions. The exhibition, which opened today, runs until 7 May 2015 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
Commenting on the Center’s participation in the expo, Fatima Mohamed, Senior Researcher at the Research and Studies Department - Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center, said: "This is the second straight year that the Center is participating in ATM and one of our main objectives this time is to shed light on our ‘Wathiqati’ initiative and acquaint more people with the unique cultural heritage of the UAE. Heritage tourism is one of the pillars on which tourism is based globally and represents a vital artery for economic growth, since it facilitates reciprocal relationship between tourism and heritage. The ‘Wathiqati’ initiative aims to showcase to the world the authenticity of the UAE’s heritage as well as the varied cultural treasures that serve as tremendous economic engines while encouraging cultural interaction between peoples."
She added: "Promoting our heritage effectively at ATM – the most popular tourism event in the region – would help to communicate an authentic image of the UAE and its people to a broad international audience. At the exhibition, we also display historical documents and photographs. Our participation in ATM offers us an opportunity to inform and educate the public about the ‘Wathiqati’ initiative and invite anyone who has historical documents relating to the UAE to get in touch with the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center.”
A national initiative with a historical dimension, “Wathiqati” aims to collect, preserve and maintain historical documents and manuscripts and make them available to researchers and those interested in historical, heritage and humanities studies.
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About Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center:
Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center is the reliable source and reference for the conservation of national heritage in the United Arab Emirates. Its vision focuses on the promotion of the Emirati national heritage and communicating it to the young generation at regional and global levels.
In addition, the Center organizes events and competitions as well as conducts heritage studies and specialized research for the preservation and documentation of the UAE's national heritage. It also provides traditional sources and references for researchers and interested parties, including all members of the community.
The Center serves as a platform for all initiatives, tournaments and activities on the country's heritage conceptualized by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. It seeks to consolidate the cultural Emirati heritage and be valued by the new generation. The Center also promotes awareness about the UAE's values, customs and traditions inherent society, as well as activates young Emirati participation in the maintenance of their national identity.