Tomorrow, Monday, the National Identity Caravan will launch in Al Dhafra with the participation of numerous ministries and institutions. The event is organized by the Watan Fund in cooperation with a large number of ministries, institutions, and authorities, under the patronage of Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, and Chairman of the Fund's Board of Directors, with the participation of more than 79 artists, writers, creators, and poets.
The National Identity Caravan in Al Dhafra, which will be held alongside the Watan Fund's pavilion at the Al Dhafra Festival for the Book, includes four major events hosted by the Family Development Establishment in the city of Zayed. These are a series of meetings titled 'Family and National Identity' under the slogan 'A Cohesive Family in a Changing World,' a training program organized by the Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence, launching for the first time in Al Dhafra under the name 'Leaders of Tolerance,' in addition to the training workshop 'Pioneers of National Identity' and the youth retreat that focuses on enhancing intergenerational communication, in cooperation with the Ruler's Representative's Court in Al Dhafra and the Al Dhafra Youth Council. The events will see wide participation from various segments of society in the Al Dhafra region, with a keen focus on ensuring that all cities of Al Dhafra are represented across the activities so that the message reaches everyone. All events will kick off tomorrow, Tuesday.
The Watan Fund's participation in the Al Dhafra Festival for the Book reaffirms its role in consolidating the national identity and enhancing Emirati cultural values through an integrated system of knowledge-based and community events, brought together by the 'National Identity Caravan in Al Dhafra,' launched by the Watan Fund under the slogan 'A Cohesive Family in a Changing World.'
This participation includes a series of interactive reading sessions, meetings with senior citizens, sessions with specialists in family, Emirati history, and heritage, in addition to events focused on the Arabic language and the Emirati dialect, all of which contribute to raising generations that enhance family communication, care for social life, encourage positive family integration, and move away from excessive use of the internet and electronic tablets, while also promoting societal values and national identity.
The morning session of the first day within the 'Al Dhafra Days Council' features an interactive reading workshop titled 'The Emirati Environment — Wadi Al Yasmin,' led by Ahlam Al-Sadi and targeting students of the second cycle. This is followed by an interactive session on handicrafts titled 'A Traditional Touch with Palm Fronds,' focusing on teaching weaving skills with the participation of specialized artisans. A storytelling session titled 'Tales from the Date Palm Oases' is also part of the program. The evening session focuses on language, poetry, and creativity, starting with a poetry evening titled 'Reading Poetic Texts that Reflect Pride in Identity and Societal Values' with poets Obaid bin Qadan Al Mazroui, Ali Al Hamli, and Ali Ahmed Al Kandi Al Murri.
The program also includes 'Tales from Palm Fronds,' which are stories of Emirati heritage, along with a number of other activities and competitions. The Watan Fund has designated a day for each city in Al Dhafra to be the focus of discussion by hosting its poets and talented youth. The journey begins in the city of Zayed, followed by the cities of Liwa, Ghayathi, Al Zannah, Delma Island, Ar Ruwais, and Al Sila, reflecting the human, cultural, and heritage richness of Al Dhafra and embodying the unity of society within the framework of the Emirati national identity.
Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak stated that launching the National Identity Caravan in Al Dhafra at this time, coinciding with the Al Dhafra Festival for the Book, focuses on leveraging the creative and cultural momentum and the media focus on the region to deliver the Watan Fund's message to everyone on two main fronts: enhancing national identity and social cohesion, and promoting the role of the family—especially as we begin the year 2026, which is the Year of the Family—in line with a clear vision we draw from the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, may God protect him, which always focuses on the family as the core of society and the importance of supporting it to be the cradle of authentic values and national identity.
Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak directed the teams participating in the implementation of the various caravan activities and partners to focus on issues that touch the daily life of people in the Al Dhafra region, their daily lives, values, heritage, social relations, and vision for the future. He emphasized that the slogan 'Intergenerational Communication' should not be just a repeated title but must be turned into an action plan that translates into a real act on the ground. He pointed to the importance of focusing the caravan's activities on transforming everyone's experiences, especially senior citizens, into shared knowledge so that we can clearly understand the nature of any generational gap—whether it is a values gap or a communication gap. He stressed the importance of discussing the role of the family and listening to senior citizens not as honored guests but as bearers of experience, and highlighting heritage sites as the keepers of memory and identity.
Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak urged that discussions between youth, families, and creators turn into practical initiatives that can be implemented in our homes and society.
Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak highly appreciated the great efforts made by the Watan Fund's partners to transform the National Identity Caravan in Al Dhafra from just an idea and a noble goal into a reality we begin living with today. At the forefront are the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Family, Ministry of Youth, Ministry of Education, Department of Education and Knowledge, Balanced Development Council, Zayed Heritage Foundation, ADNOC, Family Development Establishment, Higher Colleges of Technology, Mohamed bin Zayed University for Humanities, Al Dhafra Youth Council, General Women's Union, Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, neighborhood councils, Dar Academy, and Community Development Department, in addition to the Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence.
The Watan Fund aims for the message of the National Identity Caravan in Al Dhafra to reach all segments of society in the region and for the caravan's activities to achieve the Fund's goals and mission of reaching Emirati families residing in the Al Dhafra region, school and university students, youth, senior citizens, local intellectuals, and talented individuals, as well as all segments of society.
