Today's Edition
BATOOL GHAITH (ABU DHABI)
The Zayed National Museum is bringing together culture, heritage, and community this Ramadan with the launch of its first-ever public programme that presents tradition, storytelling, and family-focused experiences throughout the holy month.
The UAE’s national museum unveiled “Ramadan Nights at Zayed National Museum,” a new cultural initiative designed to deepen understanding of Ramadan while promoting the UAE’s Year of Family, offering visitors a wide range of heritage-inspired activities, performances, and interactive experiences.
The programme runs from the first day of Ramadan until the 20th day, from 8:30pm until midnight.
Located in Saadiyat Cultural District, the museum will host live performances, storytelling sessions, film screenings, traditional games, and hands-on workshops presented by Emirati talents, offering engaging activities for visitors of all ages.
Among the highlights is “Shadow Show: When the Moon Appears,” which is a live performance inspired by the museum’s narrative, exploring themes of light, reflection, and time through visual storytelling.
Visitors can also experience “Grandfather’s Majlis,” a theatrical recreation of the traditional Emirati gathering space that has historically served as a centre for learning and sharing social values.
Families and younger audiences can attend storytelling sessions following the journey of Rashed and his sister Wadeha as they discover the Blue Quran, one of the museum’s most significant objects.
“Stories and Tales Across Generations” sessions led by senior Emiratis aim to share narratives centred on faith, generosity, and compassion, available both in English and Arabic.
The programme also features traditional Emirati games, a poetic activity titled “Verses of Riddles,” and interactive memory corners where artists, photographers, and calligraphers create personalised souvenirs for visitors.
Visitors interested in cultural practices can join hands-on workshops such as “Mix and Make: Cooking Experience,” exploring traditional flavours with young Emirati chefs.
There is an arts and crafts workshop, “Weaving Threads,” where participants create dolls decorated with Emirati talli and pearls, which are usually used in making traditional Emirati attire.
Additional workshops during Ramadan include lantern-making inspired by geometric patterns, lunar calendar art reflecting the Blue Quran, and family-friendly weaving experiences.
From March 6 to 8, the museum will also host moon sighting and stargazing experiences in Al Masar Garden, highlighting the historical relationship between astronomy and local traditions, and how ancestral knowledge relied on the stars to determine time and direction.
Beyond the Ramadan Nights programming, the museum will continue to offer its guided tours during the holy month, including “A Walk Through Our History”, which explores more than 300,000 years of UAE history and culture, and “A Walk Among Our Wings,” an architectural tour examining the museum’s design and cultural vision.
To accommodate visitors, museum opening hours will extend from 10am to 10pm, while Al Masar Garden will remain open until midnight, hosting restaurant and café pop-ups alongside cultural activations.
Entry to the programme is free for ticket holders, but some activities are paid-for.
Through this initiative, Zayed National Museum seeks to create a space where heritage, creativity and community converge, reinforcing the role of culture in strengthening social bonds and celebrating the values that define Ramadan in the UAE.
The museum, guided by the legacy of the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, continues to highlight the nation’s history, identity and traditions, offering visitors a meaningful cultural experience that connects past and present during the holy month.
