Desert race in UAE tackles disconnection between young people and cultural heritage
Reconnecting with Emirati Heritage: The Misrah Initiative
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched an innovative program named Misrah, aimed at reconnecting Emirati youth and young residents with their cultural heritage through a physically and mentally challenging 1,000-kilometer desert trek.
The Misrah initiative, a collaboration between Emirates Foundation, Active Abu Dhabi, and the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, offers a comprehensive training program that teaches essential desert survival skills, traditional arts, and heritage values.
The training phase, which begins in August 2025, welcomes 500 participants aged 18 to 25 from all segments of society. Over the course of two months, they will learn skills such as camel riding, camel care, saddle assembly, traditional dances, storytelling, coffee rituals, and hospitality customs. This phase is led by cultural experts to ensure authenticity and immersion in Emirati culture.
Following the training period, 100 participants will be selected for the ultimate challenge: a 1,000-kilometer desert trek across diverse UAE terrains, including dunes, mountains, and coastlines. This journey aims to deepen physical endurance, mental resilience, and appreciation for traditional craftsmanship and heritage values.
The Misrah program aims to nurture heritage values across the community, foster a strong sense of national identity and belonging, and inspire a conscious generation of youth through transformative cultural and physical experiences rooted in authentic Emirati values.
Notable participants in the program include Emirati social media influencer and adventurer, Khalifa Al Mazrouei, who praised the program for allowing young Emiratis to experience their culture as something tangible and alive. Al Mazrouei emphasized the transformative impact of the Misrah program, stating that it allows young Emiratis to rediscover their deep connection with the desert.
Misrah's curriculum is designed to instill in participants the Emirati values of endurance, patience, and community cooperation, addressing the fact that less than 30% of Emirati youth regularly engage in desert-based heritage activities, and over 35% of youth aged 15-24 lead sedentary lifestyles that disconnect them from natural environments.
Mansour Al Dhaheri, Chairman of Active Abu Dhabi, lauded Misrah as an inspiring milestone in efforts to empower youth and reinforce their connection to national identity. The training modules immerse participants in authentic Emirati culture through stations like The Coffee House, Folk Arts Workshops, and Camel Pastures.
The Misrah program is part of the UAE's broader efforts to maintain cultural identity amid rapid modernization. Interested individuals can register for the program through volunteers.ae, with training running from August 21 to October 19, 2025. For more information, visit Active Abu Dhabi's website.
- The Misrah initiative, embracing entertainment and lifestyle, offers a unique experience for Emirati youth, connecting them with their heritage through a challenging desert trek.
- The program, rooted in personal growth and education-and-self-development, equips participants with essential desert survival skills and traditional arts, fostering a strong sense of national identity.
- In the news, Misrah's curriculum, incorporating cultural values and outdoor-living, aims to combat sedentary lifestyles and promote a reconnection with natural environments.
- The home-and-garden sector plays a role in this initiative as well, with Emirati hospitality customs being among the traditional practices taught during the training phase.
- Sports enthusiasts, such as football fans following European leagues like Laliga, can appreciate the mental resilience and physical endurance fostered by the Misrah program.
- The environment too benefits from Misrah, as the initiative encourages appreciation for traditional craftsmanship and sustainable living.
- As more awareness is raised about Misrah's impact on cultural preservation and lifestyle transformation, it continues to be celebrated as a significant step towards the UAE's vision of maintaining its cultural identity amid modernization.
