Shama Abdullah (ABU DHABI)
What began as heartfelt gift for a cherished friend transformed into a business for Aisha Al Fahim, the young Emirati woman creator behind the “Kashta” adventure book that encourages tourism throughout the UAE.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Al Fahim, 26, created an adventure book featuring Abu Dhabi’s most prominent attractions and landmark with an unconventional approach.
She titled her book “Kashta”, a local word in Emirati Arabic that translates to “hanging out”.
The 30-page book, made of recycled paper, includes details of special activities and key locations throughout the emirate. However, “Kashta” takes a different approach than other travel books. First, one must select a page, which contains a sratch-off sheet that reveals a special Abu Dhabi location. After the scratch-off sheet is removed, the reader can scan a QR code that provides details on the activity and the user’s distance to the location.
“This started as a gift to my best friend. Then, all my friends liked the idea, and even my family, and they encouraged me to continue. I also had a lot of time during COVID-19, and I made sure to use my time properly,” Al Fahim told Aletihad.
After producing the Abu Dhabi edition, Al Fahim wrote two more adventure books featuring landmarks and unique activities in Dubai and Sharjah.
“I now take part in cultural activities and festivals to promote my small business. Today, I am in Al Hosn Festival, which is a very good location for promoting for my idea to a wider audience,” she said. Beyond offering local insights into the best locations in the UAE, the book can be used as a photo album to store memories.
“Once you are done scratching all the pages and visiting the places, all you have to do is add your pictures of you visiting these places, and write down a note. This way, it will be a memory book for you to cherish and keep,” Al Fahim said.
Why ‘Kashta’?
“Kashta is an Emirati word. I knew that I wanted the title to be something Emirati, so it can have the soul of our Emirati identity and it can be an ice breaker when talking to foreigners. Kashta is basically an outing” Al Fahim explained.
She added that “the idea of Kashta is unique in a way, since everything is digital nowadays, and this is something physical to hold and keep.”
For the first time at Al Hosn Festival 2024, Al Fahim lunched postcards with a similar concept to the book, including the QR code, with the idea that postcards can be gifted to friends and family abroad.
“My dream for Kashta is basically for it to be international, for people to explore cities as well to make memories, because memories are meant to be cherished,” Al Fahim said.
To her surprise, most of Al Fahim’s buyers where Emiratis and residents, changing her expectations of a mostly tourist audience.
The “Kashta” books are available for purchase at different events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as well in a few bookstores, such as Jameel Art Center and Hobb Design & Visual Culture Bookshop.