Abu Dhabi: From a profusion of fresh dates straight from UAE’s palm trees to an array of stalls featuring some of the UAE’s cultural essentials, the opening day (Wednesday) of the Liwa Date Festival brought to life heritage and civilisations spanning decades.

The interlacing of wicker hampers, which can be utilised for a variety of purposes such as storing or displaying food, was a dominant activity across the festival’s traditional souq stalls.

Samira Al Amri, an official at the UAE’s General Women’s Union, told Gulf News: “Our mission is to provide our festival’s participants with the necessary ingredients to foster an appetite for preserving UAE’s heritage and instill in them national pride.”

“Every year, we provide Bedouin women with tools such as Al Khoos (palm fronds) and adequate stall spaces for them to display their skills and produce a glimpse of traditional Emirati heritage.” Details