In Abu Dhabi encounter glossy sky scrapers, falcons and gold coffee, all in one day

While the rich heritage inherited from the nomadic Bani Yas forms the core lifestyle of the Emirate, it has opened its arms to the diversity brought in by immigrants from around the world, forming the perfect cultural confluence

Visiting Abu Dhabi for the first time, I was swept away by a feeling of camaraderie that went beyond borders. The Emirate of Peace is a modern-day salad bowl. Beyond the glossy skyscrapers, pristine roads and serene blue sea, it has an intertwined network of culture.

I experienced it through fortuitous acts of kindness — at the Corniche beach, Pakistani driver Faisal went out to his way to ensure that I taste Kashmiri nun chai, and Yaser Saeed Neyadi, Head of Public Engagement Unit at the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi, attempts to make me feel at home by waxing eloquent on Malayalam cinema, and Jallikattu. Cinema is a universal language, but hearing about such a niche part of the medium from such an unexpected source is not surprising when one becomes familiar with cultural convergence that is Abu Dhabi.

While the rich heritage inherited from the nomadic Bani Yas forms the core lifestyle of the Emirate, it has opened its arms to the diversity brought in by immigrants from around the world, forming the perfect cultural confluence.

On one side of the Emirate is the Louvre, running in partnership with the French Louvre, which houses a breath-taking collection of exhibits. From works tracing the origin of human societies to masterpieces of contemporary art, the Louvre gives a sophisticated modern look to the Emirate. I stood just a few inches away from canvases painted upon by the likes of Vincent Van Gogh and sculptures carved by the likes of Auguste Rodin.

The handicraft festival coincided with my visit to the city of Al Ain, which is a three-hour drive from Corniche. I saw a celebration of the ways of the Emirati life with displays of Ayaala, which is a form of communal dance to celebrate victory in wars with songs of love, tasted traditional coffees, and experienced falconry too. These two sides of the Emirate highlight what it represents: embracing modernity, while keeping tradition alive.

I also visited the famous Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, a grand spectacle of spirituality. From canoeing through the Jubail Mangrove Park at sunset to tasting the grandeur of the Emirate with a gold coffee at the Emirati Palace, each experience acquainted me with a different aspect of Abu Dhabi.

Cultures seem to converge on the dining table too. I try exquisite cuisine from across the world. There are Lebanese delicacies, such as kaftabatata (beef and potatoes) and eggplant fatteh (a type of salad) at Zali, a restaurant which describes itself as an ode to Beirut, its colours, culture and flavours. I also order authentic French beef bourguignon and poached pears at the Fouquet’s, a French fine-dining restaurant at the heart of the Louvre, which keeps in line with the Fouquet’s which opened on the Champs-Elysees in France in 1899. Then there is traditional Emirati cuisine, like margooga (a type of chicken stew) and luqaimat (a dessert similar to gulab jamun) at Erth, an authentic Emirati restaurant which explores the bounty of ingredients and storied culinary diversity of the Emirate.