It was an amazing experience to get to know about Emirati culture.

A must visit not only for visitors but also for long term residents of Dubai. Amazing Emirati experience with great insights and relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Real treat for heritage lovers. Lunch is delicious and the area is very traditional and relaxing. Highly recommended for everyone.

A must do if you want to learn more about the Emirati culture and the Muslim religion. We went for the iftar dinner and the mosque visit and it was incredible. Our two presenters Mira and Humna (sorry if I spelt that wrong) was really welcoming. They answered all our questions and made the evening very enjoyable. We are grateful for the centres open door open minds policy because we learned a lot there that we wouldnt have learned anywhere else.

Mostly the stores were closed.The place however was delightful and perfect for a photo shoot. Arabian nights themed.

I felt as on my Grandma home was an unique experience listen the emarat people talking about then culture. Also the food is exquisitely delicious

The best way/place for visitors, tourists, new expats to learn about the local people, their culture & traditions, their dresses, their food.. everything from the actual locals themselves.They have several volunteers speaking perfect English, who conduct their cultural talk programs. They also offer options of traditional meals, walking tours through the heritage district, vintage bus tour through old Dubai, visit to a mosque.. and many more.Do try it when you visit Dubai.

Absolutely wonderful experience! Amazing food and atmosphere. What a lovely host we had and so knowledgeable, candid and welcoming!

Wow! If you’re visiting Dubai and looking for a fun, fascinating experience, you must go here!! We did the cultural breakfast, which was as delicious as it was delightful! Mira is a wonderful host! And Ali (I think?) was a fun addition to the experience.

We went there for a cultural dinner experience. It was wonderful. The guide Mira was quite good. She gave us quite an insight about Emirati culture. The food too was yumm.

Excellent!Great hospitality.One can learn many aspects of the culture.

You can study about the culture in Dubai while having authentic lunch. The atmosphere is great. Being here is definitely a lifetime experience.

The tour was really fun, I feel like I learned a lot from Emirates culture, first we got our chance to feed dates to a baby camel, then a local took us to see how a normal house looks if you were in the dessert, and he was holding his falcon and singing, it was amazing, then we walk through all this really old buildings to have a typical breakfast inside a house which is over 200 yrs wearing the typical outfit, and then we got the chance to see how a mosque looks inside without being muslims, which was a wonderful experience. Im sure you should get this tour, it teaches you a lot and you can understand more about their culture.

A great way to get closer and understanding the contemporary Emirati culture and customs. Useful for tourists and expats alike. Well worth a visit.

Absolutely recommend for those who are planning to move or moved to UAE.We had Emirati Breakfast + entertained by very nice lady that unveiled many different local traditions.

Im so interest, very happy to see the place. Because the amazing old nostalgic feelings. Great attraction is FALCON.❄️💯💕

Nothing here except a few galleries, tiny museums & nice cafe. The neighbourhood offers a glimpse of old Dubai but it is pretty much rebuilt. Touristy area. Walk towards the Bur to catch an abra (boat) and you will pass by a bazaar with plenty of shopping to do. Traders can be really insistent and wont easily let you go past.

This was a wonderful educational & sociable event.The historic district is a must visit area, in Old Dubai. It really does open your eyes & your mind to the Emirati culture, which is the intention.Informative, in a civilised, relaxing, engaging manner.I experienced the Emirate breakfast (good if you are vegetarian) Plenty of Arabic coffee, delicious dates, food, water, tea. I felt very welcome and looked after. You can ask any question, the host will answer you.You learn about the religion of Islam, the dress, relationships, traditions, smell the insence etc.I did this experience as a single, female, visitor, so no need to worry about visiting alone.The people at the centre are so friendly & helpful, I recommend a visit here.You can book breakfast, lunch, or, dinner.It is located just up from the Arabian Tea House.Take time to explore the nearby Coffee Museum, Calligraphy Museum and art galleries.

We decided to go to The SMCCU via the Metro and it was very difficult to find, we got off at the Al-Fahidi station and asked the locals where the centre was, no one was able to point it out.Outside the building the centre doesnt have the best of signs and it seemed we walked around the vicinity of the building forever before actually entering, the centre.Once we were in and seated we were offered Arabic Coffee and some fresh dates, the experience was amazing as the host explained the Emirati culture and also took questions from the guest before being served dinner which was superb.

Absolutely fantastic place. Cultural lunch with locals is just super experience. You will spend great 1-1.5 hours here!Highly recommend.

Amazing experience the local culture during the Emirati Iftar. Presenter was excellent ambassador with a good sense of humor. Food also was excellent. Harees!

Very generous people and great place to learn more about the Emirati culture and community. The hospitality they showed was great and Mrs. Rouqaya told us about the daily Emirati life and what they do in special occasions and what they used to wear.They introduced to us some Emirati dishes and desserts.Thank you for the amazing hospitality.

Serves as a tourist guide centre of some sort. I came here and manage to get some information about touring the area from the reception staff. She recommended me a food place to have traditional meals and also gave me a map of the place. Thumbs up to the staff who speaks good English and really professional in her work.

Great time to know the arabic culture.

The speaker was able to not only explain but also inform us all of how the culture in Dubai is not as different as we may have seen portrayed on TV. The Q&A session was really great since we were allowed to ask anything in relation to Dubai as a country.

Cultural center Dubai, amazing history, good food. A must while in Dubai!

A must place to visit for the ones curious about local culture, cuisine, history and lifestyle.

Amazing Iftar experiencing the Emirati way. They explain everything about Islam, habits and culture. You can interact, ask questions to a very friendly and knowledgeable people. I highly recommend....food is also good but it is the whole experience which matters.

Great place to experience local culture and get an insight into the Arab world. Best of all... The food is amazing and a great place to sample authentic traditional food!

For first timers to Dubai, this is the best place to visit as they share with you the cultural aspects of the Emirati people. They hold a very open discussion about the Middle East people so you can ask all kinds of questions. Go for the full experience, with the lunch and photo sessions. Highly recommended.

Nice walk but everything seemed a little bit empty. But nontheless you can spend a few minutes in here.

Very interesting place to go . U can learn more about Arabian life style and culture .

Its a nice place, worth to see.The staffs are really nice.You will enjoy to have conversation with them.

Loved the traditional architecture and how the whole layout seems authentic. Learnt quite a lot from the experience

Absolutely amazing place. Great food, even better education and great laugh.

The whole experience was mesmerising - the staff, breakfast and the speaker is so knowledgeable, you could ask him anything about UAE. There is always so much to learn about UAEs history and this is a perfect place to start.

Delicious lunch and enlightening cultural experience

S’alright. Just really pretty with a whole bunch of regular main stream shops.

I learnt so much about the culture... will go again soon.. this time for the lunch. 😀

Great place to be to hear the history of Dubai🤝🏾

Great way to start your morning in Dubai.

Loved this place must visit.

A must visit place to understand the Emirati Culture. One must include a visit to SMCCU when visiting Dubai. Lovely people Lovely culture.

Amazing experience to immerse yourself into the culture of this country.

An amazing place to take visitors for their first glimpse of Dubai; before the glitz and glamour, before the camel trekking, dispel any misconceptions they have about the people, the religion and the true heart of this city. The cultural meals are not only a great way to sample Emirati cuisine, theyre also educational, eye-opening and an opportunity to learn and ask questions about the local culture. They also have a loyalty program, visit 5+ times and your next visits are free - and if you have constant visitors like I do, youll make 5 visits in no time!

Good experince

One of the amazing view from this road and must saw if you coming in Dubai.

„Open doors, Open minds“Thank you for this oasis

Very friendly and knowledgeable guides. We stopped in to make an appointment for a Heritage tour and they were able to take us right away.

Must visit. Get the history of how Dubai was built and learn about their way of live, culture and get to try their local food.

The settings were truly authentic a great hotel and facilities. We ordered a meal on the rooftop restaurant whilst watching the sun setting and the meal was huge..

Highly recommend booking a meal for the chance to enjoy traditional emerati cuisine and learn about the local culture.

Entrance is free. You can experience Emirati culture in all its beauty: meals, guided tours, heritage tours as well as have cultural meals (90 dirham). Quiet and just lovely to spend time here.

Awesome place to know more about emirati culture and heritage

Wonderful experience, great food and such great information

The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding hosts cultural awareness programmes for companies in the private and public sector across the United Arab Emirates, tailored to meet the needs of specific institutions.

An amazing location and place to experience and learn the wonderful culture of Dubai . A Dubai must see for residents and tourists alike! Plus -Valet parking !

Very nice trip. I have learnt a lot!!!

This place will take you on a virtual tour of how the Emiratis live and how their culture plays role in their lives we see today. It will also give you insight on Islam and the misconception s surrounding it.

Its historical places...

Rich history

We thoroughly enjoyed the cultural breakfast and cannot recommend it highly enough. If youre new to the UAE, just visiting, or simply want to learn more about the culture, this is the place to visit. No question is off limits, and the answers are direct and honest. This wonderful organization truly embraces their motto: Open doors, open minds.

We did the cultural breakfast our first morning in Dubai. I really cant say enough good things about it. From the minute we showed up, the staff are super friendly and helpful. They allowed us to go on the roof to check out the view and recommended where else we can find good views. Since we showed up early, they suggested where we could take a walk so as not to waste time sitting inside and waiting.The breakfast was very informative, with a lead speaker fluent in English and very funny, and several secondary speakers who are there to help with answers and demonstrations. The traditional food was delicious and plentiful, and they even allowed the guests to take leftovers home in the containers they put out.The speakers answered all guest questions without reservation.Definitely go here in the beginning of your trip, (reserve ahead of time; pay there), then walk around the area and take a boat across the creek to the gold and spice souks. Itll be an interesting and productive Dubai morning,

Best place to learn and seeking for knowledge

Great concept and the people there are so kind. Brunch was delicious.For improvement: I wish the wonderful host would have had prepared talking points or notes about culture, Dubai, life etc. and talked to us first. Instead (besides the demo of traditional attire) the format was all Q&A, with random questions from dumb tourists like “are there slums here” and “how many wives can a man have”?Note for visitors: out of consideration for other guests, if you have children, make sure you know they will have to sit for two hours while adults talk. This is not your home - it is a public shared space. What passes for parenting now is unbelievable. A family from Spain let their kids run around screaming during this talk taking little notice, while an Asian couple looked at their phones the whole time and ignored their children who were close to knocking down the whole brunch setup. Please be considerate to others, especially the kind hosts trying to expand cultural awareness. If your kids can’t behave, go to one of the other thousand things for kids to do in Dubai.

Always a must when having guests. Perfect for corporate events, especially if you have a bunch of new joiners. Friendly staff, very easy going. A true gem.

Did the Culture Lunch- it was superb. A great way to find out about Emirati history and culture from locals themselves, all with a very nice meal. The host was very open , pleasant, and extremely friendly (as was everyone else working there. ) Nice touch that they let you take home the uneaten food in to go boxes (and there is alot of it ) . Will happily return...

This is a place which is definitely a good idea to visit when you come to Dubai. The staff are knowledgeable and local and are happy to answer all sorts of questions about Dubai and Emirates culture. Its a very valuable insight into the foundations of modern Dubai but also in terms of showing visitors just how the culture has evolved. Book ahead or sign up to a tour group. This is something that you will not regret participating in and visiting.

Lovely experience. We went along for the traditional breakfast which was my first experience of traditional Gulf food despite being in the region for almost 13 years. Our hostess answered all the questions in a down to earth and witty manner and made everyone feel welcome. The centre is lovely building in a historical part of Dubai so I think the walking tour would be well worth it too but we didnt have time for that experience unfortunately.

Amazing beautiful

Fun experience for newbies and visitors to learn about Dubai and ask any questions they have to the local hosting family.

A great host to introduce you to the world of Islam, Dubai, and the Arabic culture.We came here with my colleagues along with our visitors for our event as a social gathering, even if you are a Muslim or living around the region or someone from the Americas or South East Asia, you are bound to learn something from the amazing host they had.This is a paid service and I cant remember the price but if you are willing to dish out for the fee then Im sure your Dubai experience will feel more complete. The food and tour comes with the fee and for me, its all worth it.I highly recommend to visit the place even if you just want to eat traditional Arabic cuisines.

Excellent

We learned a lot about the culture and history of UAE. Our guide was excellent and a nice host.Loved the dates served during lunch. :)

Great cultural experience and breakfast which my grandchildren thoroughly enjoyed. After breakfast we were invited to dress up in traditional dress. Recommended for everyone interested to learn the local culture

Great educational and cultural tour. We learned about the culture, people and history of Dubai by listening to a native Dubai family that is very friendly and speak very well English. We also had the opportunity to try many different traditional Dubai food that was delicious. I highly recommend this tour.

Truly a hidden gem of the city! Must visit. The arts displayed are fantastic

Wonderful people.. Great Hosting.. Lot of Emirati Local cuisine. You also a learn a lot about the culture.

Historical place old memories and attractive old building

Learned a lot from local guide on the culture and history of old Dubai. Had a nice meal a t.g the same time.

Great experience. The tour guides enthusiasm and knowledge of the tour area enhanced the overall atmosphere and tour. One of the best tour guys. Great sites. Very versatile tour

Great for an evening out with meal. Arrive early or stay after to give yourself time to walk around.The presentation and Q and A were informative and very well done.

The reception is great,good food and moderator. Recommended when you are on group trip(vacation) to Dubai to help you know more about there culture and foods.

We were not able to take advantage of any of the centers programming. My 5 stars are based on how pleasant and helpful the staff was in general. There is WIFI, and bathrooms. Their presentation and dining space was beautiful. Thank-you for your general assistance!

It shows the culture of UAE. It has a gift shop also which has antiques, books, etc...

A nice place to visit located @ al seef creek bur dubai

Located in Bur Dubais historic Al Fahidi neighbourhood, the centre arranges numerous activities, including tours of heritage sites and landmarks in Dubai, educational programs for students, lectures, Arabic classes (in local Gulf dialect), as well as providing experience of traditional Emirati food. The open Questions & Answers were interesting with an incredible host: kind, open, knowledgeable and entertaining.

This center is near the Dubai Museum. It is a wonderful location that has many things to offer tourists. There are tours that is hosted by the center that promotes Arab culture and provides delicious food. There are art shops and a Coin and Coffee museum. Take a stroll outside and eat a camel burger in an Arab restaurant or take a different view of the Dubai Creek.

Interesting place to learn culture, taste and get to know local food, eating etiquette, local dressing. Very informative session done by the centre, had a wonderful experience. Open concept discussion.

We enjoyed the little snacks, the great introduction of Islam and being able to touch some falcons.I felt the walking tour was really rushed and wished there was more time spent on what Emarti life was like before tourism sky rocketed. For ex. Talking about how men used to live in the desert, etc. There were many other buildings in the area but it was unclear if we were allowed to visit them or had to pay extraOtherwise its a bit in the middle of nowhere so if its a hot day make sure you take water and give plenty of time to find the location.

You will learn everything to learn about Dubai, Emirati culture, food, history, friendliness, tourism, construction, and Expo 2020. The cuisine is really great. Moeen will walk you through the topics listed above.

Good cultural experience if you want to learn about the UAE history, culture food

Very nice experience and a peek into Emirati culture. Cultural lunch is a great experience. The staff are very friendly and encourage any kind of questions and try to answer with their best efforts. The attitude of the staff to creat us an experience makes all the difference at this place.

Many historical architectures built along with the modern day cafes and restaurants. Delighted to watch as it along side the creek and the corniche in Bur Dubai. All kinds of Indian, American, Labanese, Thai and many more varieties of cafes and restaurants. ..

Its amazing place must visit

People are very polite and give a very good understanding about UAE culture

AMAZING EXPERIENCE! BETAYA WAS KNOWLEDGEABLE AND AMAZINGLY GREAT WITH EVERYONE!

Amazing place, an authentic cultural experience, learn about the Emirati culture, customs and traditions from Emirati presenters, they will answer all your questions honestly and you get to experience an Emirati meal whilst enjoying a cultural presentation, all the presenters are welcoming and friendly and speak in English, I highly recommend all their programs!

Very welcoming and a comfortable environment to ask questions.

You will take fun experience.

This was my favorite thing to do while visiting Dubai. Well worth the time and money and Id recommend anyone so this. Sheikh Ahmed and his wife are lovely!