Understanding Family Life in Abu Dhabi’s Bedouin Society

The Family in the Bedouin Society of Abu Dhabi book has been released as a documentary and cultural work examining family and social life in the Abu Dhabi desert. It highlights the family’s central role in raising children, instilling authentic values, and preserving national identity under living conditions marked by simplicity and limited resources.

The book explores the methods of upbringing adopted by Bedouin families, founded on cooperation, mutual support, responsibility, respect for elders and hospitality. It also examines how families instilled patience, courage, generosity, and a sense of belonging to the land and nation, while highlighting the complementary roles of men and women in building the family and preparing generations capable of meeting life’s challenges.

The publication draws on oral documentation and first-hand testimony, foremost among them the account of Sheikha Subha bint Mohammed Al Khaili. Having experienced life in the Abu Dhabi desert before and after the formation of the Union, her testimony gives the book important historical and human value and contributes to a realistic portrayal of everyday life and family and social relations at the time.

The book also presents Emirati figures who embodied Bedouin values and the authenticity of the community: Hamouda bin Ali bin Hamouda Al Dhaheri, Hamad bin Suhail Al Khubaili, Moza bint Mohammed Balmarshoud and Adhija bint Saif bin Zaal Al Mashghouni.

It reviews their lives, positions and family and social roles as representatives of a generation that helped develop individuals and maintain the cohesion of society. Rather than limiting itself to the past, the book connects family values in Bedouin society with the needs of Emirati families today.

It emphasises the importance of drawing on the UAE’s social and educational heritage to address contemporary challenges, strengthen communication between generations and instil national identity in children. The publication represents a valuable addition to the Emirati library.

Its testimonies and human experiences contribute to preserving national memory, documenting important aspects of the history of family and society in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and conveying them faithfully to future generations.

To mark the book’s publication, this interview with its author explores the reasons behind writing it, the principal issues and personalities it addresses, and the message she seeks to convey through this documentary work.