Emirati 'Harees' dish added to UNESCO Cultural Heritage list

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has announced that the popular traditional food Harees has been included on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Harees is a porridge-like dish that is most often eaten during important family gatherings, such as weddings, as well as at national and religious holidays, particularly during the Holy Month of Ramadan.

The addition was approved during the eighteenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage at UNESCO in Kasane-Botswana, after it was agreed the dish met the criteria outlined in the 2003 Convention.

The United Arab Emirates led the Harees nomination file in collaboration with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman.

Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, Minister of Culture, said, “The UAE has pursued a comprehensive strategy supported by ambitious and sustainable strategies in order for culture to be an exceptional language in its discourse with the world and its peoples.

"Its rich culture and heritage inform communities around the world about the country’s rich historical legacy and its Arab identity."

The addition marks the fifteenth element inscribed on behalf of the UAE on UNESCO's lists, continuing a series that commenced in 2010 with the inclusion of falconry.

Harees is prepared by cooking wheat in slightly salted water for several hours. Then meat, often lamb or chicken, is added and again cooked for at least four hours. The dish is then served with local ghee spooned on top.