The Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority has launched the first phase of its Emirati Sana programme, an initiative financed and delivered through a formal cooperation framework pooling the resources of the emirate’s education and heritage institutions. The programme, run with the Ministry of Education, the Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi, and Abu Dhabi Majalis under the Citizens and Community Affairs Office at the Presidential Court, is designed to embed Emirati values and heritage within the school system, reaching both teachers and students across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
The first phase is being delivered at community majalis in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain and will run until 18 November 2026. It targets Arabic-speaking and non-Arabic-speaking teachers alike, as well as male and female students in Cycles 2 and 3. The delivery model draws on existing community infrastructure rather than new dedicated facilities, keeping capital costs low.
The initiative stems directly from a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority during the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2026. That agreement established a framework for cooperation in education and Emirati heritage, allowing the two bodies to pool their expertise and resources to develop heritage initiatives and programmes within the educational environment. The defined areas of cooperation include training educational staff, building capacity, developing students’ talents, sharing knowledge, raising heritage awareness, and organising heritage and cultural activities and events.
Officials framed the programme as an investment in human capital rather than a standalone cultural exercise. His Excellency Mubarak Hamad Al Muhairi, Undersecretary of the Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi, said strengthening national identity and Emirati values is a fundamental pillar of the students’ educational journey. “We work to instill these values through experiences that root them in their culture and national heritage, making heritage a living part of their experience both inside and outside the school,” he said, adding that the programme equips both students and teachers to translate these principles into everyday practice, shaping a self-assured generation that takes pride in its roots.
The programme introduces participants to Sana’ as a system of authentic Emirati values and behaviours, with an emphasis on converting those values into everyday practices within the school setting. It is structured around two training tracks. The first, aimed at teachers, features sessions in both Arabic and English at community majalis in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. It seeks to strengthen the teacher’s role as a role model and ambassador of national identity, while building their ability to apply the principles of Sana’ in managing classroom situations and in relationships with students, colleagues, school leadership and parents.
The second track serves students through educational sessions covering majlis etiquette, Arabic coffee and national values, including proper greeting and welcoming of others, respect for elders, cooperation and attentive listening, so that these principles become practical behaviours in daily life.
His Excellency Obaid Khalfan Al Mazrouei, Acting Director General of the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, described the programme as an important step towards integrating values and social heritage into school life and moving them from theoretical knowledge into everyday ethical habits. “Through the programme, we seek to empower teachers to fulfil their role as ambassadors of national identity and values,” he said, noting that teachers’ conduct and interactions play an important part in shaping students’ character and instilling respect, responsibility, generosity and good manners.
He added that the partnership with the Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Majalis demonstrates the value of coordinated institutional efforts to preserve Emirati heritage and pass it to younger generations, particularly through schools, and that instilling the values of Sana’, most notably respect, tolerance, responsibility and good manners, helps build well-rounded individuals who embody these values in their daily interactions both inside the school and beyond.
With the first phase running until November 2026, the question for the partner institutions is how far the shared-resource model can scale across the emirate’s school system.