The Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi, set to open soon, will feature exhibitions and projects that emphasize the vital role Emirati women have played in shaping the UAE. These showcases will be informed by testimonies from Emirati women, offering an authentic perspective on the nation’s history.
Over the past year, museum curator Fatema Al Hammadi has embarked on a journey across the UAE to collect these first-hand accounts. Her research took her from the oasis of Al Ain to the rugged mountains of Fujairah and the remote coastal villages of Ras Al Khaimah. Throughout this journey, she uncovered the deep roots of the UAE’s development in the resilience and leadership of Emirati women.
“I am not talking about the recent past, but ancient history as well,” Fatema explains, in anticipation of Emirati Women’s Day. “We noticed how the Emirati woman has always been an active participant in the community. In the simplest terms, it was our mothers who really took care of our communities.
“When our forefathers left home for months at a time for pearl diving or maritime trade trips, it was the mothers who took care of the homes. They raised the family and, in some cases, were the family doctor, using the surrounding herbs as medicine. Today, we see Emirati women excelling at every level in the UAE and globally, but that essence of leadership is rooted in our history.”
Through these interviews, Fatema has also been able to shed light on the social and cultural dynamics of historical Emirati communities. “A lot of that is determined by geographical locations,” she says. “When we talk about the UAE’s heritage, it’s not just one thing.
“There is a rich maritime heritage because of the communities that lived by the sea, and there is also a land heritage because of those who lived in the mountains. These environments are very different and have limited resources, so these stories showed me how our past communities were able to endure by adapting and thriving.”
The Zayed National Museum will also emphasize the unifying efforts of UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, in forming the federation in 1971.
“We have a shared language, heritage and history – and that’s what our father, Sheikh Zayed, was able to achieve,” Fatema says. “He united us all. Going on these expeditions really reinforced that for me because no matter where I went, we all followed the same values that Sheikh Zayed taught us.”
Amna Al Hammadi, the museum’s audience engagement lead, is focused on outreach efforts to involve Emirati senior citizens and people of determination. She highlights that Emirati voices, which have been largely inaccessible until now, will play a significant role in shaping the museum’s curatorial direction.
“This is also personal to me as we have mothers here in the museum who have children of determination, and we always want to make sure they are involved in everything,” Amna shares. “I believe that museums and cultural institutions can play a more proactive role in engaging with this important community, as well as the elderly.
“Too often, these responsibilities are left to schools or other organisations, which view a trip to a museum as just a checklist item. We want to change that by personally engaging with them and creating experiences tailored for them, as the museum also belongs to them.”
Amna also notes that a permanent programme for people of determination is in the planning stages, developed with input from families, educators, and curators. “I want people to know that there will be a programme or event specifically for them at the museum so they can plan accordingly,” she says. “And these programmes will be for the whole family, meaning that parents can be there with their children to experience the museum together.”
Engaging with Emirati senior citizens is another priority for Amna, who acknowledges the rarity of such exchanges within international museums. “It’s special for a national museum to discuss events with visitors who actually experienced them,” Amna says. “That’s why I consider our Emirati senior citizens the most fortunate of all because they truly understand what happened and their insights need to be nourished and cherished.”
The involvement of Fatema and Amna in the Zayed National Museum’s opening is a deeply personal journey for both. For Fatema, it represents the fulfillment of a lifelong quest to understand her homeland’s history.
“I’ve always been curious about our history since I was a child,” Fatema recalls. “I remember going with my mother to visit the elderly in our community and I loved hearing their stories about Sheikh Zayed. I even remember seeing him pass by our neighbourhoods when he visited Al Dhafra.
“All these stories about true leadership and how this once-desert land became green inspired me to learn more about Emirati history. So coming here after finishing university just feels like a blessing.”
Amna, a journalism and communication graduate, believes the Zayed National Museum is a story worth telling in its own right. “A lot of the time, the UAE is known for achieving global standards and exceeding them,” she says. “When it comes to museums, I hope we can now set benchmarks for their role in the community.
“We want to show that you can bring in people who might not traditionally visit cultural institutions. We need to fully integrate them into the cultural fabric, and this involves not only creating programmes but also ensuring that the museum’s offerings are accessible to all, regardless of their background or circumstances.”