What happened? Zayed National Museum will mark Emirati Women’s Day with a three-day programme featuring cultural workshops, artisan demonstrations, guided tours and live performances.
Who is affected? Residents, visitors and families looking for cultural activities in Abu Dhabi can take part in the programme from August 28 to 30.
Why does it matter? The programme puts Emirati women, heritage and traditional knowledge at the centre of one of Abu Dhabi’s newest cultural attractions.
- Location: Zayed National Museum, Saadiyat Cultural District, Abu Dhabi
- Organisation: Zayed National Museum
- Dates: August 28–30, 2026
- Who is affected: Residents, tourists, families and museum visitors
- Programme: Workshops, crafts, food, perfume-making, tours and live music
- What’s next: The Women of the Nation tour continues until September 26
Zayed National Museum will celebrate Emirati Women’s Day with a three-day cultural programme from August 28 to 30, 2026, giving visitors a chance to explore Emirati traditions through hands-on activities, performances and guided experiences. The programme, announced by the museum and reported by WAM, will take place at the Saadiyat Cultural District attraction and will highlight the contributions, achievements and leadership of women in the UAE.
The event is particularly significant because it is the museum’s first Emirati Women’s Day celebration since opening in December 2025.
What can visitors expect at the museum?
The three-day programme, titled “Weekends at Zayed National Museum: Emirati Women’s Day,” will combine heritage, food, crafts and music.
One of the featured activities is Between the Past and Present, a workshop introducing visitors to traditional Talli and Khous handicrafts. The session gives participants an opportunity to learn about techniques that have been passed through generations and remain part of Emirati cultural heritage.
Food also has a place in the programme. Mix and Make with Chef Abeer Allouz will invite visitors to prepare date-based treats inspired by UAE flavours. Dates have long been an important part of Emirati food traditions, making the activity a simple way to connect culinary heritage with everyday culture.
Visitors can also try their hand at fragrance-making through Create Your Own Personalised Scent. Participants will create a signature perfume inspired by Emirati and international scents before adding a personalised label to the bottle.
Emirati women take centre stage through live performances
Music will be another key part of the weekend.
According to WAM, live performances will feature Emirati musicians including Elham Al Marzooqi on cello, Mariam Al Shaloubi on qanun, Alya Alshamsi on oud and Noura AlShaer on piano. The performances will run throughout the three-day programme.
The activities will take place across different areas of the museum, including Al Liwan and the Conference Room, while musical performances will be staged in the Performance Area and Al Liwan.
That mix of performances and hands-on activities makes the programme more than a standard museum visit. It allows visitors to experience parts of Emirati culture through music, craft, food and storytelling.
A special tour explores women’s role in UAE history
The museum is also putting women’s stories directly into its galleries through the Women of the Nation tour.
The thematic experience explores the role of women in Emirati society across generations, including their contributions to leadership, family and community life, education, traditional crafts and the preservation of cultural knowledge.
The tour goes much further back than the formation of the UAE. The National reported that one of the stories centres on a woman buried around 8,000 years ago, whose jewellery and other burial objects suggest she held an important position within her community.
The experience also looks at the role women played in coastal communities while men were away at sea, as well as traditions such as sadu weaving, falconry and traditional remedies that were passed between generations.
The Women of the Nation tour is scheduled to continue until September 26, with sessions on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Why Emirati Women’s Day is significant in the UAE
Emirati Women’s Day is observed every year on August 28. The occasion was established in 2015 by Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the Mother of the Nation, to recognise the achievements and contributions of Emirati women.
In 2026, the national celebration is being held under the theme “We Emerge Stronger and Better.” The theme focuses on the achievements of Emirati women and their continuing role in the UAE’s development.
The museum programme fits into that wider national focus by connecting contemporary achievements with the women who preserved knowledge, supported communities and passed traditions to younger generations.
Zayed National Museum adds another cultural draw to Saadiyat
The Emirati Women’s Day programme comes as Zayed National Museum continues to establish itself as a major attraction within Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Cultural District.
The museum opened to the public on December 3, 2025, and tells the story of the UAE and the region across around 300,000 years of human history. It includes six permanent galleries, an outdoor gallery and a temporary exhibition space.
Its collection includes significant objects such as the Abu Dhabi Pearl and the Blue Qur’an, while a full-scale reconstruction of an ancient Magan Boat is among its major displays. The building itself was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Lord Norman Foster of Foster + Partners and draws inspiration from the wings of a falcon.
The museum has also been named among TIME’s World’s Greatest Places 2026, putting it on an international list of notable cultural and travel destinations.
For UAE residents and visitors, the programme offers an easy way to combine a cultural outing with Emirati Women’s Day celebrations.
Families can explore traditional crafts and food, while visitors interested in UAE history can use the Women of the Nation tour to learn how women helped shape communities and preserve cultural traditions.
For Abu Dhabi, programmes such as this also strengthen Saadiyat Cultural District’s role as a destination where museums are not only places to view collections but also spaces for live experiences, learning and community engagement.
The three-day celebration also gives visitors another reason to explore Zayed National Museum while its first year of operations continues.
FAQs
When is Emirati Women’s Day?
Emirati Women’s Day is observed annually on August 28 in the UAE.
When is the Zayed National Museum Emirati Women’s Day programme?
The three-day programme will run from August 28 to August 30, 2026.
Where is the Emirati Women’s Day programme taking place?
The programme will take place at Zayed National Museum in Saadiyat Cultural District, Abu Dhabi.
What activities are planned?
Visitors can expect traditional craft workshops, artisan demonstrations, date-based food activities, personalised perfume-making, guided tours and live musical performances.
Is the Women of the Nation tour continuing after the weekend?
Yes. The Women of the Nation tour is scheduled to continue until September 26, 2026, with sessions held on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Zayed National Museum’s Emirati Women’s Day programme brings together heritage, music, food and storytelling for a three-day celebration from August 28 to 30. Alongside the weekend activities, the Women of the Nation tour offers a deeper look at the women whose knowledge, resilience and contributions have shaped Emirati society across generations.
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