Ras Al Khaimah readies for biggest ever Awafi Festival

Ras Al Khaimah / Emirates Business

Ras Al Khaimah, the UAE’s northern-most emirate, is readying this month to host its biggest ever Awafi Festival – the 14th in the annual series.
The three-week festival, a defining event in the emirate’s tourism calendar, yearly attracts visitors from all over the GCC, who descend on the mountain-desert-beach destination to celebrate its ethnic and cultural heritage through theatre performances, cultural displays and outdoor sports held amongst the dramatic red sand dunes of the Awafi area.
Running from December 16 – January 7, the 14th festival will have five focus areas including a Heritage Village; entertainment stage; kids’ play zone; traditional bazaar and the much anticipated Awafi Hill Climb Challenge – the fiercely contested, one-day dune bashing test which has won a huge following throughout the UAE and beyond.
“It sounds like something of a cliché but we have gone out of our way to ensure that there really is something for everyone – of all ages – at this year’s mega event,” said Haitham Mattar, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism and Development Authority (RAKTDA), which organises the festival.
The Hill Climb Challenge highlight, which boasts a prize purse of AED 200,000 – the biggest in the series is in partnership with the Emirates Motor Sports Federation. It will be fought out on December 16 and will attract high-profile competitors and tens of thousands of fans, particularly young motoring enthusiasts from the UAE and across the
region.
Running nightly from 4pm to 11pm, the festival is free to enter. “It’s an unbeatable offering,” said Mattar. “Guests get to enjoy games, local arts and crafts, heritage activities and can relax in coffee shops and games areas. The festival gives a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘night life.”
Visitors to the Heritage Village will be captivated by product displays that highlight the four defining characteristics of Ras Al Khaimah’s geography and traditional communities – rural, bedouin, maritime and mountains.
“A centrepiece of the heritage village is that this year we plan to ‘stage’ a traditional Emirati wedding for visitors, who will really be the ‘guests’ to get a feel for the cultural and heritage traditions embodied in this unique celebration,” says Mattar.
Smack bang in the centre of the Heritage Village there will be an entertainment stage featuring celebrations, activities and contests around Emirati heritage and traditions to engage audiences.
“The UAE in general, and Ras Al Khaimah in particular, are well known for folklore, folk music, folk dance and other traditional and popular art forms which embody and reflect the social, ethnic and aesthetic values of the community. This is an exceptional opportunity for others to engage with them,” said Mattar.
“We are looking forward to surprising the audience with the presence of some very well-known Emirati actors and social media influencers, while the normal visitor can look forward to tremendous colour and excitement to bring their own social media posts alive.”
The on-site traditional bazaar will present visitors with a captivating display of arts and crafts, perfumes, food and beverage and accessories. “It will be a unique shopping experience offering a place to try the bargaining skills for which the region is well known,” said Mattar.
“With the full support of RAKTDA, the
festival is growing to offer guests much more to see and do and experience a real feel of Arabia.”
Such is the widespread appeal of the event that it has earned keen sponsorship backing from major UAE-based corporate entities including RAK Ports, RAK Rock, Stevin Rock and Etisalat.