KEY TAKEAWAYS
  • Irthi showcased Emirati craft at Abu Dhabi Royal Equestrian Arts on Jubail Island from 31 Oct to 3 Nov 2025. 
  • Hands-on workshops taught leather Talli keychains using the Sayir Yay weave; 100+ people joined. 
  • A live Talli demo put Emirati techniques and values on show for an international equestrian crowd. 
  • ADREA is the fifth classical horsemanship academy globally, after schools in Austria, Spain, Portugal and France. 
  • Irthi positioned craft as cultural knowledge and dialogue, echoing horsemanship’s discipline and beauty. 

Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council took Emirati craft to the arena at Abu Dhabi Royal Equestrian Arts (ADREA). Over four days on Jubail Island, the team ran workshops and a live Talli demonstration for visiting equestrian schools and riders. The programme tied craft to horsemanship: both are about patience, precision and beauty, not just performance.     

What happened at ADREA

Irthi used ADREA to show Emirati craft to a global equestrian audience, mixing workshops with live performance. The setting placed traditional techniques in a formal, classical environment. 

  • Dates: 31 Oct to 3 Nov 2025, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi
  • Audience: leading classical horsemanship schools, plus local and international equestrians
  • Format: interactive workshops and a live Talli demonstration
  • Aim: present Emirati heritage through technique and practice   

Irthi framed craft as a practice you learn by doing, not a static display. The format matched the event’s disciplined tone while keeping things accessible for visitors and riders. 

Inside the workshops: Talli meets camel leather

The headline activity was a hands-on Talli session that produced leather keychains, pairing traditional weave with natural camel leather using the Sayir Yay pattern. Over a hundred participants tried it. 

  • Focus: Talli weave technique with Sayir Yay pattern
  • Material: natural camel leather
  • Output: leather Talli keychain
  • Participation: 100+ attendees from varied backgrounds

This format turned a heritage technique into a practical object you can carry. It also showed how pattern, fibre and leather can sit together without losing the craft’s identity. The numbers suggest strong engagement across a mixed crowd, which is the point of public workshops. 

Live Talli demo for an international crowd

Beyond the tables, Irthi staged a live Talli demonstration led by an artisan. The point was to slow things down so the audience could see the rhythm and method behind the braid. 

  • Format: live craft performance
  • Theme: patience and precision at work
  • Audience: international visitors at a classical horsemanship venue

By placing a craft demo in an equestrian context, Irthi underlined shared values: training, control and respect for tradition. It made the link between what happens in the workshop and what happens in the arena. 

Why ADREA matters in this story

ADREA is the fifth academy dedicated to classical horsemanship, sitting alongside long-standing schools in Austria, Spain, Portugal and France. That lineage gave Irthi a serious stage and a ready audience for a conversation about technique and tradition. 

  • Location: Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi
  • Standing: fifth classical horsemanship academy worldwide
  • Peer institutions: Austria, Spain, Portugal, France

The academy’s focus on heritage and form mirrors how traditional crafts survive: through careful teaching and public presence. For a UAE-based craft council, this is a neat fit that makes cultural sense. 

Irthi’s position: craft as cultural dialogue

Irthi set out its view clearly: craft is a way to connect cultures, not just a set of objects. In comments attributed to H.E. Reem binKaram, the Council places harmony, precision and beauty at the centre of both craft and horsemanship. 

  • Message: craft carries cultural knowledge and perspective
  • Link to sport: shared principles of harmony and precision
  • Goal: position Emirati craft in a global cultural context

This language moves the conversation away from souvenirs and into values and practice. It’s a reminder that heritage needs modern, public stages to stay alive, and that the UAE can host those stages with confidence. 

Planning to document workshops or arena performances? These guides and reviews are handy for UAE readers:

FAQ

What is ADREA?

Abu Dhabi Royal Equestrian Arts is a classical horsemanship academy on Jubail Island. It is the fifth such academy worldwide, following counterparts in Austria, Spain, Portugal and France. 

When did Irthi take part?

From 31 October to 3 November 2025, during ADREA’s programme on Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi. 

What did the public learn in the workshops?

Participants made leather Talli keychains combining Emirati Talli techniques with camel leather using the Sayir Yay pattern. More than 100 people joined. 

Was there a live demonstration?

Yes. An Irthi artisan performed a live Talli demonstration to show the process and values behind the craft to an international audience. 

How does Irthi frame craft?

As cultural knowledge and dialogue, grounded in harmony, precision and beauty, and suited to a global cultural context.