Creative workshops and cultural experiences mark the holy month, as part of the ‘Ramadan in Dubai’ campaign and the Season of Wulfa
Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) has set out the details of its ‘Ramadan Nights’ programme, which marks the holy month of Ramadan through a series of activities rooted in Emirati culture, customs, and traditions. The programme aims to build community connection and give Dubai residents and visitors a chance to experience the character of Ramadan first-hand.
The programme sits within the broader ‘Ramadan in Dubai’ campaign, which runs under the Season of Wulfa. That initiative focuses on strengthening family bonds and celebrating Emirati social and cultural occasions. Through ‘Ramadan Nights’, Dubai Culture aims to protect local cultural heritage and support Dubai’s standing as a city that values tolerance, coexistence, and respect for different cultures.
Activities will take place across Dubai Culture’s cultural and heritage sites. At Al Safa Art & Design Library, the outdoor courtyard will host a range of workshops and interactive sessions delivered by Dubai Public Libraries through the School of Life initiative, which works to build cultural and life skills in the community. These include a Free Drawing Space, where visitors can create artwork inspired by Ramadan, and a Ramadan Thoughts Wall, where people can write personal messages and literary reflections connected to the holy month.
Families and children can take part in a Ramadan Lantern Decorating and Colouring Wall, a Treasure Hunt with puzzles and hidden Ramadan symbols placed throughout the library, a board games corner, and a traditional Ramadan majlis set up as a gathering space for families and friends.
Each evening at Al Safa Art & Design Library, visitors can try henna design, practise Arabic calligraphy, learn traditional matcha preparation, and take part in perfume-making and scent-blending workshops. The cultural programme also includes live music, a traditional storyteller (hakawati), and choral performances. A Creative Market will give artists, entrepreneurs, and local makers a space to sell artwork and handmade products inspired by the holy month.
Al Shindagha Museum, the UAE’s largest heritage museum, will host cultural activities inspired by the traditional Arish, along with a Ramadan iftar majlis featuring live cooking demonstrations by Emirati chefs. Storytelling sessions will explore the values of generosity and hospitality that run through Emirati food culture.
The museum will also stage live demonstrations of palm-inspired traditional crafts and interactive heritage experiences that highlight the role of the palm tree in daily life and traditional architecture. A series of poetry evenings and dialogue sessions will look at the social history of old Dubai through stories that reflect the character of the city and its community.
At Etihad Museum, visitors can attend a screening of Mountain Boy, followed by a discussion with director Zainab Shaheen, producer Nancy Paton, writer Michelle Ziolkowski, actor Naser Almessabi, and guest Saleh Almessabi.
Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children will run workshops and interactive activities built around the values of Ramadan. Visitors can explore Islamic arts, learn henna design, pick up basic music skills, browse an artists’ market, play games, and try traditional foods, all within a setting that reflects the values of Al Woulla and its three pillars: reflection, connection, and blessings.
