Emiratis battle to preserve dying art of embroidery

Al Ain: Far from Dubai s glitzy towers, Mariam Al Kalbani s henna dyed fingers weave brightly coloured threads in a skill she hopes young Emirati wome...

Al Ain: Far from Dubai’s glitzy towers, Mariam Al Kalbani’s henna-dyed fingers weave brightly coloured threads in a skill she hopes young Emirati women watching her can preserve for the future.

The art of hand-weaving braided shiny ribbons to adorn traditional clothing and bags is called Al Talli, and is on Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.

But with the relentless pace of change in the United Arab Emirates, its days may be numbered.

“It’s a craft of our ancestors and our people,” Kalbani told AFP in Al Ain, the UAE’s fourth largest city, which sits between mountains and the desert.

“If we do not take initiative and introduce it to them, it will disappear.” The 70-year-old craftswoman, wearing a traditional black abaya robe and golden face covering, has been training students and apprentices in the art for 15 years.