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Ras Al Khaimah / Emirates Business
The emirate of Ras Al Khaimah welcomed approximately 60,000 residents and visitors to its Awafi area over the past three weeks during its annual cultural festival, which concluded on Saturday 7 January.
The 14th Awafi Festival, which celebrates the UAE’s most northern emirate’s ethnic and cultural heritage, attracted its largest visitation to date, with the opening weekend alone welcoming 10,000 spectators to Ras Al Khaimah’s red sand dunes for the fiercely contested Awafi Hill Climb Challenge.
During the opening weekend, drivers from across the region competed to reach the peak of the emirate’s highest sand dune, with UAE national Abdulrahman Ali Mohammed Al Selani reaching the summit in the fastest time. As well as being awarded first place in the six cylinder cars Al Selani recorded the best time in the tournament at 5.014 seconds.
A key feature of this year’s Awafi Festival was the Heritage Village and traditional bazaar, which provided visitors with an opportunity to explore Ras Al Khaimah’s defining characteristics, while presenting a captivating display of traditional arts and crafts, perfumes, musical displays, food and beverage and accessories. During the concluding weekend, visitors were invited to partake in a traditional Emirati wedding ceremony, encompassing local culture and traditions. The ceremony, which took place at the heart of the Heritage Village, allowed visitors to engage as guests and gain a hands-on experience of the
intricacies embodied in this unique celebration.
“Ras Al Khaimah has such a unique and preserved cultural heritage and the annual Awafi Festival allows us to showcase just a sample of local traditions and delicacies during the three weeks. I welcome both residents and visitors across the UAE to come and explore further what the northern emirate has to offer all through the year,†said Haitham Mattar, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism and Development Authority (RAKTDA), which organised the festival.
The 14th Awafi Festival was sponsored by major UAE-based corporate entities including RAK Ports, RAK Rock, Stevin Rock and Etisalat and is scheduled to return in December 2017 with the support of various government entities.