Although a forward-looking society, Dubai is equally proud of its culture and heritage.

Islam: The timeless values of Islam lie at the heart of Dubai’s living heritage, providing a strength and inspiration that touches all aspects of everyday life.
Religious Festivals: Ramadan is the Holy Month in which Muslims commemorate the revelation of the Holy Koran. Its timing is not fixed in terms of the Gregorian calendar, but goes back 11 days every year. In 2008, Ramadan will start around at the end of September. Eid Al Fitr is a feast that marks the end of Ramadan and is celebrated for three days. The celebrations start after prayers in the morning, when gifts are exchanged. Eid Al Adha is a festival of sacrifice and marks the end of Haj (the pilgrimage that all Muslims should make to Mecca at least once in their lives). It lasts four days.

Traditional Clothing: The Arab national dress worn in Dubai and throughout the Gulf, it is adapted to the high temperatures and religious beliefs of the region. Men wear an ankle-length, loose-fitting garment known as a kandoura or dishdasha that is usually made of white cotton, although some darker, heavier materials may sometimes he seen in winter. A small white crocheted skull-cap, the gahfia or tagia, is covered by the gutra, which is a long white cotton cloth or sometimes red-and-white woollen material in winter. The gutra is kept in place by the igal, a double black woollen braid worn around the crown of the head. Emirati women usually wear a long-sleeved, full-length dress, which is also called a kandoura and is often elaborately embroidered in gold, silver or coloured thread. The thobe is worn over trousers, sirwal, and dress, and covered entirely by a black abbaya. The hair is covered and the face may also be covered by a gishwa, a thin veil.

Hospitality: Courtesy and hospitality are among the most highly prized virtues of the Arab World, and the visitor is sure to be charmed by the genuine warmth and friendliness of the people. The serving of freshly ground Arabic coffee flavoured with cardamom is a sign of welcome. This is poured from the traditional long-spouted Arabian coffee pot into small cups with no handles. It is considered polite to accept one, two or three cups and then shake the cup gently from side to side to indicate you have had enough.

Family Life: The family is the most important institution in Arab society, encompassing grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and more distant relatives as well as the immediate family unit. Relationships within these extended families are strong and respect is accorded to the older members. Families arrange marriages, although the bride and bridegroom have to agree to the liaison. Wedding celebrations are major occasions that last for several days and involve much feasting, music and dancing. Women are respected in Islamic society, taking their place at the heart of the family. They have equal educational opportunities and increasingly work outside the home.

Traditional Sports: The sport of falconry is among the many traditional pastimes still practised in Dubai. It is a unique partnership between man and bird and if you are lucky you may see a hooded falcon being trained on its owner’s gloved wrist. The ancient sport of camel-racing also attracts a sizeable following - and substantial purses for champions. Traditional water sports still actively practised in Dubai include sea rowing, dhow sailing and the more recent wooden powerboat racing.
Throughout history, the Arabs have maintained a great love of horses and this tradition lives on in the 21st century with the rapid growth and development of horse-racing. This includes the Dubai World Cup, run in March – which is the world’s richest horse race.

The ruling Al Maktoum family is the driving force behind Arabian horses in the emirate. Sheikh Hamdan has invested much time and resources in breeding Arabian horses and Sheikh Mohammed - dubbed the ‘Knight of Endurance’ by the media - is recognised as one of the leading owners and riders of Arabians on the endurance trail. His sons, too, are enjoying considerable success both locally and internationally. The UAE Breeder’s Cup - a flat race for locally-bred Arabians - was inaugurated in 2002.

The Sacred Month of Ramadan: During the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, every healthy Muslim is required to fast from dawn until dusk. During daylight hours, those tasting abstain from all food, drink, inhaled substances and sexual activity. The Adhan (call to prayer) for Al Maghrlb (sunset prayer) marks the end of the fast for the day. Before praying, the fast is broken with dates and water. After prayer, the Iftar meal (breakfast - literally, the meal to break fast) is eaten with family and friends. In the Emirates, traditional dishes such as harees (made with meat and cracked wheat), fareed (meat and vegetable stew) and lugamat (deep-fried dough balls with date syrup or honey) are eaten daily for Iftar. Fasting is for persons who are physically fit. A pregnant woman, for example, is not obliged to fast, neither are old or sick persons.
Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) teaches Muslims that Ramadan is the month when Allah (God) bestows blessings, mercy and forgiveness. “During the month of Ramadan, the gates of Paradise are open, the gates of Hell fire are closed and the Shayateen (Devils) are chained.” For these reasons Muslims make a special effort through dedication and focus on fasting, prayer and zakat (charity) to take advantage of this opportunity for forgiveness. The rewards for fasting during Ramadan are unlimited. Only Allah knows who is truly fasting, so this pillar of Islam is said to have the highest reward.
Ramadan is a time of giving and remembering the blessings of life given by Allah. It is also a time when Muslims remember those who are not so fortunate; it is a time to give generously, in money, gold, food and spirit. Ramadan is a month Muslims may reflect on the relationships they have with family and friends, or try to engage in more community and volunteer work.

The Dubai Cultural Council: The prime objective of the Dubai Cultural Council is to enrich drama, cinema, painting, sculpture, literature, music, folklore and other creative fields to facilitate the emergence of a cultural kaleidoscope that is rich, vibrant and progressive. The Council extends support and encouragement to artists, littérateurs and talented people from other fields in their creative pursuits and strives continuously to attract and nurture fresh promising talent. Through its endeavours, the Council hopes to make a positive and significant contribution towards the ultimate vision of facilitating the emergence of Dubai as the cultural capital of the Middle East. Dubai is a perfect blend of tradition and modernity as reflected by the various libraries, art galleries, theatres and museums it possesses. It also has the infrastructure required to support the cultural vision of its leadership and, as the emirate is increasingly assuming a greater cosmopolitian character, its emergence as the cultural hub of the region is a well deserved progression.

Culture is an important facet of Dubai and its development and promotion are seen to be as equal in importance to that of the accomplishments achieved in infastructure and technology. Dubai Cultural Council also works to attract the local society into arts and culture and encourage it to participate in and support cultural activities as well as helping develop a cultural infrastructure, sponsoring cultural activities and organising specialised courses and sessions in the arts and culture. The private sector too is welcome to participate in cultural development by supporting theatre, drama, music, fine arts, cinema and other forms of artistic expressions.