Abu Dhabi: One of Abu Dhabi’s biggest festivals is gearing up to open its doors to the public on March 26 and run until April 4.
The Mother of the Nation Festival, which is stretched over a kilometre on the capital’s stunning Corniche, is expected to once more draw crowds from around the UAE over its 10-day duration.
The action-packed event, organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), will feature over 100 activities, 35 musical shows and performances, as well as workshops and art exhibitions.
The festival is arranged into four zones as well as a Mother of The Nation Pavilion. The four zones include the Happiness Zone, Progress Zone, Beach Dinning Zone and a Souq Zone.
The event will pay tribute to the values and extensive contributions of Her Highness Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, and President of the Supreme Council of Motherhood and Childhood.
Located in the centre of the festival, the Mother of The Nation Pavilion follows the journey of women through the years, a tribute to Shaikha Fatima’s vision and values.
Each of the four zones focus on a distinct concept and organisers have worked hard to ensure there is something of interest for everyone, especially children.
The Happiness Zone, offers young visitors the chance to experience a series of engaging activities and arts, while progressive concepts for sustainability and conservation will be showcased through a number of interactive instalments in the Progress Zone.
The Souq Zone, which will include around 70 retailers, will provide visitors with the opportunity to come in contact with Emirati entrepreneurs and their products.
The Beach Dining Zone will offer a diverse range of local and international cuisines across different areas of the festival through restaurants, food trucks and stalls. Around 50 food trucks will be located across the festival’s grounds.
Speaking to Gulf News at a preview of the festival, Omar Al Busaidy, TCA Abu Dhabi Actions Events Section Manager, said that they hope that with the addition of the extra activities and changes to the event’s layout, the number of visitors will increase much beyond last year’s 130,000.
“This year we have more activities and they are placed much closer together… so people don’t have to walk too far from an experience in one zone to another. This should give visitors a much more holistic experience,” said Al Busaidy.
He added that the festival has responded to the trend of young people’s more active lifestyle and their love for participation in sporting events by adding more fitness-related activities.
“We have created obstacle activities to give them the opportunity to practise it here,” he said.
The organisers have also placed great emphasis on education throughout the festival by arranging engaging events. The Majlis area will be holding inspirational talks by prominent speakers while the Water [Miyah] pavilion will use engaging tools to teach youngsters about the importance of water in our lives and how simple changes in their daily routines can help the environment. Other activities such as creating arts using recyclable and trash is aimed to teach children about sustainability.
Tickets can be purchased for Dh20 per adult, while children aged five and under are admitted for free. Tickets are available at the festival entrance or can be purchased via Ticketmaster.
What: Mother of the Nation Festival
When: March 26 to April 4
Time: 4pm to 12am
Activities: Music, performances, arts, workshops, play areas, sports and games, dining, heritage.
Price: Adults: Dh20. Free admission for children under 5.
