“Coffee in The Arabian Gulf” an exhibition that promotes historical importance of coffee in the UAE and Gulf region

An exhibition with the purpose of promoting the historical importance of coffee in the UAE and Gulf region kicked off today marking the International Coffee Day. 

Running until December 2nd, the event is organised by Sharjah Museums Authority (SMA) in cooperation with Dubai Coffee Museum. 

The show will shed a light on the role of the world’s most favoured drink in the history of the region. It also has rare photos of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

A collection of objects from Dubai's Coffee Museum including coffee roasting and serving utensils and different types of dallah or coffee pots - whose name comes from the word dalah, referring to the friendliness and sociability accompanying the coffee session -will be displayed at Sharjah Heritage Museum to help visitors understand coffee’s relevance to the cultures of the UAE and the Gulf countries. 

Through a number of workshops and educational programmes targeting all members of the public, visitors will be introduced to coffee rituals that symbolise the generosity and hospitality of Emiratis and Gulf citizens.

Khalid Al Mulla, Founder of the Dubai Coffee Museum, said the exhibition will explain the importance of coffee in the region between the past and the future, and how it developed to become a part of the traditions and customs of the people in the UAE and the region, reflecting their hospitality. 

He added that visitors will also learn about components of the traditional dallah and its significance in the region’s culture, which has led to including it in UNESCO’s tangible cultural heritage list in 2015.