Palm Crafts and Old Farming Practices Come Alive at Sharjah Heritage Days
Sharjah, February 9, 2026
At the Agricultural Environment Pavilion of Sharjah Heritage Days, the story of the UAE’s relationship with land and palm trees is told through hands-on demonstrations, familiar scents and farming practices passed down through generations.
The pavilion offers a vivid snapshot of traditional agricultural life, highlighting palm-based crafts and knowledge that once shaped daily living across Emirati communities.
A central attraction is the craft of jirban making, demonstrated by veteran craftsman Abdullah Ali Ahmed Al Shuhhi. Using fresh palm fronds, he explains each stage of the process, from sun-drying the leaves to weaving and stitching them into containers traditionally used to store dates.
Al Shuhhi notes that stored dates were later transferred to the madbasa, where they were mixed with date syrup and natural ingredients such as fennel, ginger, black seed and lemon leaves. The mixture was then left to mature for up to three months, following age-old preservation methods.
The pavilion also introduces visitors to local date varieties including Barhi and Kas Habash, while explaining the stages of ripening from fresh fruit to fully dried dates. Rope-making from palm fibre is also highlighted, once essential for building areesh houses and now widely used in heritage décor.
Agricultural produce and women’s crafts form another key section. Fresh vegetables are displayed alongside handmade palm-frond bags by Maryam Ali Rashid, who has practised the craft for more than a decade.
Traditional farming tools used for cultivation and tree cutting are showcased, along with the irrigation system known as Al Yazerah, which relies on simple tools made partly from palm fronds to manage water resources.
Farmer Yousef Rashid Al Jumeili presents crops such as tomatoes and aubergines, grown using inherited farming knowledge, along with traditional pickles including preserved lemons and chilli paste.
Together, the exhibits underline Sharjah Heritage Days’ focus on preserving agricultural knowledge and palm-based crafts, highlighting the enduring bond between people and the land.