Today's Edition
BATOOL GHAITH (ABU DHABI)
At Zayed National Museum, Emirati women are creating history - not only preserving it, but presenting it through a lens of lived experience, scientific precision and cultural depth.
The UAE's national museum, which opened its doors in December 2025, stands as a tribute to the Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the country's vibrant cultural identity. Behind its world-class exhibitions are women whose voices echo the stories they preserve and shape how they will be told for generations to come.
Fatima Al Tamimi, the Head of the Conservation Unit, sees conservation as more than physical preservation and more about safeguarding authenticity, knowledge and identity.
"Each object carries layered histories, and conservation ensures these remain intact and meaningful. Our work protects not only materials, but also the stories and experiences they represent," Al Tamimi told Aletihad.
She noted that conservation shapes how future generations encounter history, by ensuring that objects are preserved with integrity, researched with care and presented responsibly.
"Through scientific analysis and documentation, we allow future audiences to engage with original material that provide evidence of the UAE's past, deepening their understanding of the nation's heritage and strengthening their sense of connection and belonging," Al Tamimi said.
As an Emirati woman leading conservation efforts in a field traditionally dominated by international experts, Tamimi takes pride in developing local talent.
"While conservation is an international discipline, it is essential that Emiratis lead the care of their own heritage. My role is to bridge global best practice with local knowledge, ensuring that conservation expertise is rooted within the UAE. By training, mentoring and collaborating with regional institutions, we are building sustainable local capacity and empowering the next generation of Emirati conservators," she added.
Al Tamimi also emphasised the role of women in shaping the cultural narrative: "As an Emirati woman working at Zayed National Museum, I feel a deep responsibility to pave the way for the next generation of cultural professionals.
"Our roles show that women can lead in every aspect of the cultural fields from conservation and research to curatorial practice, design and education. By contributing our knowledge and perspectives, we are not only safeguarding heritage but also demonstrating that women are central to shaping the UAE's cultural future," she said.
By demonstrating that women can lead in scientific, technical and leadership roles within heritage, they help shift perceptions and inspire confidence, creating pathways and possibilities.
"Through mentorship, education and professional development, we are committed to building a cultural sector where women are equipped to shape the future of heritage in the UAE," Al Tamimi noted.
While conservation ensures the authenticity and survival of objects and the stories they carry, the curators bring those stories to life, transforming preserved heritage into meaningful public experiences.
At Zayed National Museum, Fatema Al Hammadi, a Curator, is shaping the way history is told.
"Every exhibition poses the question of how visitors will recognise themselves within it. History can be complex but at its core, it is always human," Al Hammadi told Aletihad.
"I start by understanding the lives and environments behind each object, then build a narrative that allows visitors to move through time as participants rather than observers. At Zayed National Museum, we use storytelling and layered interpretation to turn historical knowledge into experiences that feel grounded in evidence," she explained.
On presenting heritage in a way that speaks to younger generations, Al Hammadi said that young people connect through discovery and interaction.
"My approach is to invite them into the story rather than ask them to simply read it. Through digital tools and interactive experiences, we encourage curiosity and dialogue. At the same time, everything remains anchored in objects, ensuring that the story is not imagined, but inherited."
Women often carry stories passed down quietly through memory, ritual and everyday life, Al Hammadi said. "By shaping national narratives, women ensure that heritage reflects not only events but also how people lived, cared, created and belonged, which is why women play pivotal roles in preserving and presenting national history, heritage and culture."
Moaza Matar, the Director of Curatorial and Collection Management at Zayed National Museum, is the architect of how these stories are illustrated.
"Our guiding philosophy is to present the UAE's history as a coherent, living narrative that connects past, present and future. Each object is contextualised within carefully developed curatorial narratives that reflect the UAE's social, historical and cultural development, informed by scholarly research, subject matter expertise and community engagement," Matar told Aletihad.
She noted that the objects are presented in terms of principles of accessibility and stewardship, ensuring alignment with the museum's vision and mission while fostering public understanding and meaningful engagement with the UAE's heritage.
Her approach bridges the ancient and the modern not as contrasts, but as continuities.
"Our approach is to show how deep history underpins modern identity, rather than separating the two. When visitors move through the galleries, they encounter ancient trade routes, early settlements and shared cultural practices passed down through generations and still practised today, which naturally lead to today's global connections and ambitions," Matar explained.
This journey reflects how the UAE has always been open to dialogue, innovation and exchange while remaining grounded in its values, she added.
For Matar, women's leadership in history and culture is not only a legacy of the nation's founding principles, but also a necessity for a truly inclusive cultural future and to carry the vision of UAE's leadership in empowering women as equal partners.
"National history is shaped not only by what is preserved, but by those who are involved in preserving it. Women's leadership ensures that narratives are inclusive, and reflective of lived experience, allowing future generations to see themselves reflected in the institutions that tell it," she noted.
Together, these women form a powerful force at the intersection of culture, education and national pride. Their work ensures that Emirati history is told and preserved by those who have long carried it in their memory, their craft, and their vision for the future.
