Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage in the MENA Region: Preserving Legacy Amid Sustainable Progress
ATLAS Middle East Webinar
Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage in the MENA Region:
Preserving Legacy Amid Sustainable Progress
Wednesday 7 May, 2025
12.30-14.00 CEST
The Association for Tourism and Leisure Education (ATLAS) Middle East is pleased to present an insightful webinar on Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage in the MENA Region: Preserving Legacy Amid Sustainable Progress. Organized by Dr Filareti Kotsi, this event offers a unique platform to explore the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the Middle East and North Africa region through the lens of sustainability and tradition.
The webinar will feature 15-minute presentations by young student researchers, each highlighting elements that constitute the region’s cultural heritage—from architecture, crafts, visuals and oral traditions to social practices and rituals. Join us to gain valuable insights, engage in dialogue, and deepen your understanding of how heritage preservation can align with sustainable development in a rapidly evolving world.
Programme
Opening
Corne Dijkmans
Introduction
Filareti Kotsi
Presentation 1
Al Ain Oasis: A Journey Through Heritage, Culture, and Sustainable Tourism
Maryam Al Hemeiri, Salama Salem, Mahra Alfalasi, Sanaa Alahbabi
Presentation 2
Threads of Identity: Reviving Al Talli Through Tourism and Culture
Fatma Mohammad, Deyma Bin Haidar, Shamma Nasser
Presentation 3
Hatta Escape: A Wellness and Spa Tourism Experience
Hamda Abdulla, Alreem Hamed, Mathayel Yousef, Noora Khalil
Presentation 4
The Spirit of Ramadan: A Journey of Culture, Faith and Tradition
Fatma Mohammad, Deyma Bin Haider, Afra Alfalasi, Aysha Matar
Presentation 5
Frames of Tradition: Moroccan Photography at the Crossroads of Heritage and Modernity
Tatiana Iretskaia
Moderator
Filareti Kotsi
Dr Filareti Kotsi is a professor at the College of Communication and Media Sciences at Zayed University’s Dubai campus in the United Arab Emirates. She inspires both undergraduate and graduate students through immersive, future-focused programs. Dr. Filareti’s research explores the intersections of anthropology, tourism studies, and destination marketing. Her academic trajectory began with an emphasis on reflexive anthropology and the semiotics of religious tourism and pilgrimage, particularly the “enchanted communication” of Mount Athos, Greece. Her current research agenda focuses on destination image with analyses tailored to varying travel contexts. She is especially interested in the evolving identity and branding of destinations in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Dubai. As the Middle East Coordinator for the Association for Tourism and Leisure Education (ATLAS), she fosters regional and international collaboration, connecting ideas, people, and possibilities.
Presentations
1. Al Ain Oasis: A Journey Through Heritage, Culture, and Sustainable Tourism
We are a group of four tourism students from Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates, enrolled in the College of Communication & Media Sciences. Our team includes Maryam Al Hemeiri (leader), Salama Salem (organizer), Mahra Alfalasi (editor), and Sanaa Alahbabi (videographer). We met during our second year and developed a strong working dynamic. We are currently completing the TCC-471 Senior Tourism Project. Our shared interest in heritage tourism, sustainability, and cultural preservation inspired us to explore Al Ain Oasis—a UNESCO World Heritage site—focusing on how tourism can support heritage while promoting sustainable development.
Our video presentation focuses on the cultural, historical, and environmental importance of Al Ain Oasis in the United Arab Emirates. Through interviews, on-site filming, and survey research, we explore how this UNESCO World Heritage site balances tourism, heritage preservation, and sustainable development. The video showcases key features like the ancient falaj irrigation system and traditional palm farms, supported by interviews with visitors and staff. We aim to raise awareness about the oasis’s value and encourage thoughtful tourism that respects both culture and nature. Using iMovie, we edited real-life footage, added voiceovers, and incorporated key insights from our research.
2. Threads of Identity: Reviving Al Talli Through Tourism and Culture
We are Fatma Mohammad, Deyma Bin Haidar, and Shamma Nasser, senior students at Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates, majoring in Cultural Communication and Tourism. We are currently enrolled in the Senior Tourism Project course, where we focus on preserving and reviving UAE’s intangible cultural heritage. Our research interests include heritage tourism, traditional Emirati crafts, cultural preservation, and creative media. We are passionate about exploring how traditional elements like Al Talli can be integrated into modern tourism experiences to educate and engage younger generations. Our academic journey reflects our dedication to merging culture, communication, and tourism in innovative ways to strengthen national identity and appreciation for heritage.
Our presentation focuses on reviving Al Talli, a traditional Emirati embroidery craft, through innovative cultural and tourism initiatives. Once a vibrant part of Emirati women’s daily life, Al Talli was officially inscribed in 2022 on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, affirming its significance and the urgency of its preservation. Our research combines qualitative methods, such as interviews with artisans and heritage experts at Al Shandagha Museum and surveys conducted among Zayed University students to understand awareness levels and perceptions of the craft. We documented the process of Al Talli-making and its significance through video interviews and observational recordings. As a key outcome, we created a website featuring a curated gallery, historical context, and visual storytelling to engage a wider audience. The goal is to modernize and promote Al Talli as a living tradition, ensuring it resonates with future generations while being positioned as a symbol of cultural pride and a tourism attraction within the UAE.
3. Hatta Escape: A Wellness and Spa Tourism Experience
We are four senior students at Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates majoring in Communication and Cultural Tourism. Our team includes Hamda Abdulla, Alreem Hamed, Mathayel Yousef, and Noora Khalil. Each of us brings different strengths to the project—leadership & creativity (Hamda), communication (Alreem), storytelling (Mathayel), and research & design (Noora). We share a deep interest in promoting cultural and sustainable tourism in the UAE. Our research focuses on new ways to use local heritage and natural landscapes to create meaningful and relaxing tourism experiences that benefit both visitors and communities.
Our presentation explores the potential for spa and wellness tourism in Hatta, UAE. We identified a gap in Hatta’s tourism offerings, focusing mainly on adventure, with only one existing spa resort. Using a mixed-method approach, online surveys, a one-night retreat, and participant observation, we tested the idea of turning a villa into a luxury wellness retreat. The results show a strong interest in wellness tourism and support the idea that Hatta can grow into a wellness destination. Hatta is an old heritage city that belongs to Dubai, known for its traditions and natural landscapes. Linking wellness tourism to this cultural setting adds value by blending relaxation with the rich history of the area. We created a promotional video highlighting the relaxing space, spa services, and Hatta’s natural beauty.
4. The Spirit of Ramadan: A Journey of Culture, Faith and Tradition
We are Fatma Mohammad, Deyma Bin Haider, Afra Alfalasi, and Aysha Matar, Cultural Communication and Tourism students at Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates. We are enrolled in the ‘Communicating Tourism: Destinations and Heritage’ course. Each team member brings a unique perspective shaped by a deep appreciation for Emirati culture and a shared passion for heritage preservation. Together, we explore how traditional practices can be preserved and reinterpreted in modern society. Our academic interests include community storytelling, cultural events, and media-based documentation. Through collaborative research, our team aims to highlight the richness of local identity and encourage younger generations to stay connected to their cultural roots.
Our presentation explores the intangible cultural heritage of Ramadan, focusing on its evolving practices. Through organized iftar gatherings, family interviews, surveys, and participation in an Umrah, an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, our project documents how Ramadan remains a deeply spiritual and social time. It highlights elements such as traditional foods, prayer, storytelling, and hospitality while noting changes due to technology and globalization. Our project also references Ramadan’s recent (2023) UNESCO recognition on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, showcasing its shared cultural significance across countries. Ultimately, the presentation aims to celebrate Ramadan as a living tradition that fosters unity, strengthens family bonds, and preserves cultural identity in contemporary Emirati society.
5. Frames of Tradition: Moroccan Photography at the Crossroads of Heritage and Modernity
Tatiana Iretskaia is a PhD candidate in Sustainable Tourism and Protected Areas Management at Michigan State University, USA. Her research explores the lasting impacts of awe-inspiring travel, both nature and culture-based. Having traveled to over 80 countries, Tatiana brings a global lens to her work and a deep interest in the cultural landscapes of the Middle East. Her dissertation investigates how peak experiences shape environmental attitudes and self-perception, and she is passionate about making transformative travel both ethically grounded and accessible. She is also an intermediate Arabic learner and a lover of Moroccan tea.
Tatiana’s presentation explores the work of Moroccan photographers Lalla Essaydi and Hassan Hajjaj as visual dialogues with cultural heritage in transition. Their art reflects Morocco’s hybrid identity—where Arab, Amazigh, Islamic, and global influences coexist and collide. Essaydi reclaims female agency through staged, calligraphy-covered portraits that challenge Orientalist narratives while preserving intangible legacies of language, gender, and domestic space. Hajjaj’s pop-art portraits remix tradition with global aesthetics, occasionally incorporating Amazigh-inspired textiles and symbols. Together, their work navigates the balance between cultural preservation and innovation, offering models of sustainable expression rooted in place yet dynamically responsive to a globalized visual culture.
Join Us!
Participation is free but registration is required.
The webinar will be live-streamed in YouTube. After registration you will receive the link a few days before the event.
Please fill in the form HERE