Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
The Sheikh Zayed Summer Festival 2026, being held in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi, until August 23, continues to strengthen its position as one of the UAE’s leading national community initiatives.
More than an enjoyable way to spend the summer break, the inaugural event focuses on developing young talent and strengthening national identity.
Bringing together education, technology, sports, health and entertainment, the festival features the participation of 30 national, academic, security and sports entities.
With more than 3,000 programmes and workshops taking place in fully air-conditioned indoor halls, the festival provides a safe educational and recreational environment.
It reflects the UAE’s vision of investing in future generations and equipping young people with the skills of tomorrow.
Aletihad spoke to several participating organisations about how their programmes are helping children build new skills while strengthening their connection to the UAE’s heritage and identity.
Ayesha Al Zaabi, Head of Educational Programmes Section at the National Library & Archives, said the organisation’s participation reflects the UAE’s vision of nurturing a knowledgeable generation rooted in its national identity.
She explained that the programme combines learning with enjoyment while preserving authentic Emirati identity and keeping pace with rapid digital transformation.
Participants, she added, develop research, documentation and analytical skills alongside critical and creative thinking. According to Al Zaabi, the seven-week programme is divided into two tracks, with the children’s programme introducing participants to citizenship values, Emirati history, creative writing, storytelling and historical landmarks.
“The youth programme... focuses on scientific research, documentation, digital archiving, oral history recording, journalistic writing, investigative journalism and the use of artificial intelligence to design models of UAE landmarks,” she said.
She added that each week centres on a different theme, including national identity, Emirati values, archival sciences and arts.
Iman Alhammadi, project manager – Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, said the authority is participating for the first time with a dedicated pavilion featuring five interactive sections designed to introduce children to different aspects of Emirati heritage.
“The pavilion is divided into five interactive sections including a traditional Emirati gathering space where children learn about customs and coffee-making, a food heritage area, traditional crafts workshops, heritage games and folk performing arts,” she said, allowing children to experience Emirati culture in an engaging and hands-on way.
Alhammadi noted that combining heritage with innovation is one of the pavilion’s defining features. “The diversity of activities is what distinguishes the camp,” Alhammadi said. “Children explore heritage, technology, the environment and many other fields,” helping them broaden their knowledge while strengthening their national identity.
Highlighting the importance of the summer programme, she said: “The summer holiday gives children valuable free time, and it is important to invest it in meaningful and enjoyable activities.”
She added that the authority evaluates the success of its programmes by monitoring children’s participation and interaction. “Their engagement and enjoyment are clear indicators that the activities are achieving their goals.”
Shamah Al Mheiri, Strategy Analyst at Emirates Foundation, said the foundation is participating in the Sheikh Zayed Summer Festival through its Misrah and Takatof initiatives, both of which aim to strengthen national identity while encouraging community engagement among children.
“We are participating through two main initiatives, Misrah and Takatof,” she said. “Misrah focuses on strengthening national identity and instilling Emirati values in children through interactive activities.”
As part of the programme, the foundation offers workshops introducing youngsters to Emirati customs and traditions through hands-on experiences.
“We offer the Coffee Majlis workshop, an Emirati traditional food workshop, and an Al-Ayyala workshop, giving children the opportunity to experience Emirati customs and heritage in a practical and enjoyable way,” she said.
Alongside heritage-focused activities, the Takatof initiative encourages children to develop a sense of social responsibility from an early age. “Takatof focuses on instilling the values of volunteering and community service in children from a young age,” she said.
Eman Al Mughairy, Head of Outreach at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, said MBZUAI’s programme takes students on a week-by-week journey through the world of AI.
“In the first week, students learn about the fundamentals of artificial intelligence, prompting techniques and responsible AI through our AI Unfiltered session,” she said.
The second week focuses on creative applications, with participants learning how to generate text and images and apply these tools for different purposes.
She added that MBZUAI will mark International Youth Skills Day on July 15 with a dedicated programme before introducing students to AI in gaming through sessions with Abu Dhabi Gaming, Google and Unity.
“Our Incubation and Entrepreneurship Centre will also introduce students to building AI start-ups,” she said. The programme concludes with the MBZUAI Experience and an AI Challenge, giving participants the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they have developed throughout the summer programme.
