You can now discover the women behind the UAE’s story
There’s no shortage of fascinating stories at Zayed National Museum, and one of its latest tours puts women firmly centre stage.
Running until 26 September, Women of the Nation is a curated tour celebrating the remarkable women whose ideas, work and influence have helped shape Emirati society across generations.
And while the tour coincides with Emirati Women’s Day, it goes much further back than the modern UAE.
Taking visitors through five of the museum’s permanent galleries – Our Beginning, To Our Ancestors, Through Our Connections, By Our Coasts and To Our Roots – the experience uncovers stories spanning thousands of years.
You’ll hear about Sheikha Salama bint Butti Al Qubaisi, whose guidance helped shape the values of her son, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Founding Father.
The tour also explores the legacy of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, highlighting her contribution to women’s education, family wellbeing and the country’s development.
But this isn’t just a roll call of famous names.
The tour digs into the stories of women whose names may not have made it into the history books but whose contributions were just as important.
There’s an 8,000-year-old woman buried on Marawah Island, evidence of female rulers on Abiel coins dating from 300 BCE to 100 CE, and stories of women who supported the pearling economy, wove textiles, prepared food and medicine and passed cultural traditions from one generation to the next.
In other words, it’s a chance to look at the UAE’s history through a different lens, and discover just how much women have been part of the story all along.
The tour is available in Arabic and English and takes place every Thursday and Saturday from 3pm to 3.45pm until 26 September.
Every Thursday and Saturday, until 26 September. 3pm-3.45pm, Saadiyat Cultural District, Abu Dhabi. Advance booking is required. For further information, visit Zayed National Museum
