Symposium at Sharjah Heritage Days Explores Emirati Markets: Experiences and Memories
Sharjah, 6 February 2026
As part of the 23rd edition of Sharjah Heritage Days, the symposium “Emirati Markets… Experiences and Memories” was held with the participation of Dr. Saif Al Badwawi, Fatima Al Mughni, and Jumae bin Salem Al Dhahani. The session shed light on the features of commercial life in traditional markets and their role in shaping collective social memory.
Women and Trade… Inherited Wisdom
Fatima Al Mughni affirmed that Emirati women possess inherited wisdom, noting that much of this knowledge is linked to traditional buying and selling practices in the marketplace, along with popular proverbs that reflect the philosophy of trade, such as: “Wear what pleases you, but what pleases people,” and “If tastes did not differ, goods would remain unsold.”
Fading Professions and Enduring Memories
Al Mughni discussed the diversity of goods and colors in old markets, recalling the souq and Al Mahatta Airport in Kalba, where several professions once flourished, including blacksmithing and tailoring, in addition to wedding-related crafts such as henna preparation, bridal dressmaking, and embroidery, as well as the role of the teacher in teaching the Holy Qur’an and basic arithmetic.
Fading Professions and Enduring Memories
She pointed out that many of these professions have disappeared over time, referring to her Traditional Crafts Museum in the city of Khorfakkan, and stressing the importance of documenting these experiences and passing them on to younger generations as an authentic part of Emirati heritage.
Heritage Is an Unforgettable Identity
Al Mughni concluded by emphasizing the need to revive ancestral crafts and preserve them as a fundamental component of national identity, underscoring that heritage—with its language, customs, and traditional attire—is an irreplaceable legacy that must be firmly instilled in the awareness of successive generations.