Dubai Culture’s ‘Live our Heritage Festival’ Educates the Public about Fragrance Making ‘Dhukhoon’

Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated entity for culture, arts and heritage, is celebrating the eighth edition of its ‘Live Our Heritage Festival’ and welcoming visitors to learn about the art of fragrance making during the fourth week of workshops.

Fragrance making or ‘Dhukhoon’ permeates the UAE’s history and heritage. Fragrances were once an essential part of bidding a guest farewell and they are still frequently used in the daily lives of Emirati women or gifted on special occasions. Popular aromatic blends including incense, frankincense and many others are integral to celebrations such as weddings and holidays. The ‘Dhukhoon’ workshops will educate people about the history of the fragrance industry and its origin in natural resources, different types of perfumes and their uses, and techniques for identifying, handling, extracting and preparing aromatic substances. 

Over the weekend beginning Thursday 29th March, visitors will also be able to enjoy tradition folk dances such as the Al Ayyala, Al Harbiya and Al Liwa, as well as workshops organised by Al Kuwait Centre, one of Dubai’s Heritage Development Centres. The workshops feature activities such as painting the meaning of loving your nation, recycling old drums and turning them into traditional chairs and tables, and a creative studio for practicing drawing skills, book cover design, clay exploration and collage art. There will also be workshops on how to use snail and oysters shells to decorate mirrors and make ornamental boxes. 

The ‘Live Our Heritage Festival’ is held in cooperation with the Global Village, the Dubai Association of Folk Art, and Dubai Culture’s Dubai Heritage Development Centres. The festival began on 1st March and will run until 7th April 2018 at the Global Village, focusing on educating the public about traditional UAE handicrafts and heritage. 

Dubai Culture aims to enhance Dubai’s cultural scene and draw attention to the Emirate’s rich heritage with a variety of initiatives that take place throughout the year. The Authority’s mandate is to build bridges of constructive dialogue between different civilisations and cultures through enriching initiatives that benefit the Emirate’s citizens, residents and visitors.