Abu Dhabi opens Festival of Tolerance with India as guest of honour

Umm Al Emarat Park filled with more than seven thousand people on 13 November as the eighth National Festival of Tolerance and Coexistence opened under the theme Growing in Unity. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, inaugurated the three-day event running through 15 November, drawing sixty accredited ambassadors and representatives from cultural and humanitarian organisations. The Republic of India took part as guest of honour for the first time, a recognition of the historical ties between the two nations and the presence of more than four million Indians now living in the UAE.

The choice of India reflects the depth of connection between Abu Dhabi and the subcontinent, rooted in centuries of trade and cultural exchange across the Arabian Sea. In recent decades, that relationship has evolved into a comprehensive strategic partnership spanning commerce, education and technology. Dr Deepak Mittal, Ambassador of the Republic of India to the UAE, spoke of his country’s selection as reflecting its special place in the hearts of the UAE’s people, and cited karak tea, a drink that came from India and has become part of daily life here, as a symbol of how the two cultures have woven themselves together.

Sheikh Nahyan drew on a phrase from the UAE’s President to articulate the festival’s deeper meaning. In the UAE, everyone is Emirati, he said, capturing the spirit of coexistence at the heart of the nation’s values. The festival took place at Umm Al Emarat Park, named in honour of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation, whose commitment to women, children and families has helped shape the inclusive society the UAE takes pride in today.

The opening ceremony brought together the Voices of Tolerance ensemble, drawn from dozens of nations, alongside performances celebrating Emirati and Arab heritage and Indian performing groups presenting works that captured the daily life of the Koli, a traditional fishing community in Maharashtra. Arts activities, exhibitions, creative readings and competitions filled the opening day, while Sheikh Nahyan greeted women who had travelled from Al Wathba to the festival grounds along the Path of Tolerance, observing that their presence underscored the importance of health and wellbeing.

The Gardens of Tolerance, which opened in 2024, form the physical heart of this vision. The gardens gather plant species from across the world alongside those native to the UAE, each retaining its own character whilst contributing to a richly varied landscape. This design reflects the festival’s central idea: tolerance is something people practise daily through listening to others, learning from them and receiving them with openness.

The Gardens of Tolerance, which opened in 2024, embody the festival’s theme of Growing in Unity. The gardens bring together plant species from around the world alongside those native to the UAE, with each species retaining its distinctive characteristics while contributing to a varied landscape. This metaphor for coexistence extends into the festival itself: people put tolerance into practice every day by listening to others, learning from them and welcoming them with openness, as Sheikh Nahyan observed during the opening ceremony.

The opening day featured arts activities, joint exhibitions, performances promoting peace, creative readings, competitions and giveaways. Sheikh Nahyan welcomed the women who travelled from Al Wathba to the festival grounds along the Path of Tolerance, noting that their presence highlighted health and wellbeing, one of the path’s central themes. In marking the Year of the Family, he extended wishes of lasting health and strength to mothers, grandmothers, sisters and daughters, offering them the opportunity to thrive.

The eighth National Festival of Tolerance and Coexistence reflects the vision of Abu Dhabi’s leadership for a society built on peaceful coexistence. With participants from more than twenty-four countries and over sixty ambassadors in attendance, the festival demonstrates the emirate’s role as a global centre for dialogue and cultural exchange. For residents and visitors, the three-day programme offers a tangible expression of how tolerance and coexistence shape everyday life in Abu Dhabi, from shared culinary traditions to artistic expression and friendship.