Unesco list gains three Gulf traditions

An al razfa dance performance at the Dubai Heritage Village to mark National Day. Reem Mohammed / The National

If you find yourself at the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival this weekend, sitting in the majlis with a cup of gahwa and watching a display of al razfa dancing: Mabrouk! You are enjoying three of the world’s great cultural treasures.

The UN cultural organisation Unesco announced on Thursday that the trio had been added to the list of the Intangible Cultural History of Humanity, meaning that they are important cultural traditions that should be preserved.

They were part of 15 additions to the list approved by Unesco at a meeting in the Namibian capital Windhoek that includes kimchi, the Korean dish of fermented vegetables, Slovakian bagpipes and Balinese dancing.

Citing the UAE’s contribution to world heritage, Unesco described the majlises as “playing an important role in the transmission of oral heritage.”

It added: “The areas are usually large, comfortable and equipped with beverage-making facilities. Elders with extensive local knowledge are the main practice bearers... judges and religious sheikhs adjudicate on disputes.”

Serving gahwa or Arabic coffee “is an important aspect of hospitality in Arab societies”, Unesco observed. Ascribing the drink to Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar as well as the UAE, the organisation said it was “traditionally prepared in front of house guests”.

Al razfa was attributed to the UAE and Oman and registered by Unesco as “a popular form of communal entertainment seen at festive events, involving groups of men with replica rifles and chanting verses”.

Already on the list are falconry, al taghrooda – Bedouin chanted poetry – and al ayala, also known as stick dancing.

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, the chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, said the UAE’s contribution to the Unesco list was part of the country’s efforts “to maintain and preserve the traditions of the past”.