United Arab Emirates

Selected in 2025 on the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Since the advent of oil wealth, the dispersion of Bedouin communities to cities, the gradual abandonment of pastoral activities, and the social changes associated with these processes have created threatening conditions for the art of Al Sadu weaving. The time required for artisanal production, the need for traditional knowledge about nature, and the low remuneration of craftsmanship compared to other jobs in the modern economy, as well as a growing preference for industrial fabrics, have contributed to a decline in interest among younger generations in learning this weaving technique. Between 2011 and 2023, a safeguarding programme was put in place to address the risk of disappearance of this cultural element, whose know-how is preserved by a dwindling number of older women. Thanks to the combined efforts and resources of multiple social actors, research, documentation, knowledge transfer, dissemination, marketing support, and activities to raise awareness about the element’s value and significance have been implemented in a concerted and participatory manner. As a result, the programme has not only succeeded in ensuring the continuity and transmission of the element, but also in creating employment and income-generating opportunities for a large number of people.