SMCCU Reviews

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

A small cultural experience: A tasty meal with local specialties will teach you interesting facts about the culture of the people of the Emirates, the role of food, religion and women in everyday life, and the customs and customs of the region. As part of a tour of the old part of Dubai very nice.

I am a volnteer at this place for the last 23 years helping visitors to UAE Dubai understand emirati culture ask qutions the center opens for Cultural program's unique experience with UAE presenters food dress history dayli from 9.00 am to 9.00 pm public and private booking

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...

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 !

Great area to visit - you can take some great photos

Absolutely amazing. So lovely to be able to meet and chat to Emeraties and a range of other visitors. Q&A session wjer all questions answered. Everyone should experience this

There is something very special about this place. First off, I love food - and getting traditional Emirati food is top of my list.

I came here for the lunch where besides eating, there is a nice awesome lecture about the Emirati culture. Our guide, Nassif, was not only generous with explaining what's going on - he was also hilarious. The food is awesome, the portions are generous -- after all you get to enjoy the buffet on the floor.

At the end of the event, the participants are provided with takeout containers and they are encouraged to take the leftovers home.

I suggest that you dont miss this opportunity when you come to Dubai. Say hello to Nassif!

Simply I am the grandson of the earlier owner of that house
Thanks to the government of Dubai for giving special care to the heritage and traditional areas

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.

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 can't remember the price but if you are willing to dish out for the fee then I'm sure your Dubai experience will feel more complete. The food and tour comes with the fee and for me, it's all worth it.

I highly recommend to visit the place even if you just want to eat traditional Arabic cuisines.

An Arab local staff member explains the culture of Islam, you can ask questions about Islamic culture.

Every one must visit here once to know the local culture.

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

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 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.

The place is very nice and the best in restaurants and shops and very suitable for photography

Emirati breakfast, lunch and dinners! With local people talking about their culture! You ask they answer about their life's. It is a must if you are in Dubai.

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.

I learn much about arabic customs, and dresses. During my visit, i was expecting that kind of knowledge, but my particular interest on explanation of arabic customs are sidelined by so many questions on Islam by other (non muslim) visitors. Muslim visitor or orientalist or Islamic scholar would not be interested because they already know most of the answer.

We did the cultural breakfast our first morning in Dubai. I really can't 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. It'll be an interesting and productive Dubai morning,

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

Well worth a visit, a true locals and you eat a Dubai real people eat lunch at a local house specialties. And you can, without limitation raised doubt in his heart.

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

This is a must visit place in Dubai, if you want to know more about the culture, customs and traditions of the Emirati, then you need to visit this center. All your questions will be answered perfectly and your misconceptions will also be corrected

A nice place to meet Emiratis
Attended and enjoyed very much a great lunch on 24. December and an opulent breakfast some days later after a real impressing falcon-experience. Guests were offered a lot of nice food (not hot ;-) and really delicious - from the fresh dates as a "welcome" to the sweets after the tasty main courses) plus coffee, tea and water. Three very friendly ladies and the director answered to questions of the visitors about modern daily life and old traditions. The place was created by Sheik Mohammed in 1998 - and the motto of the institution is "Open doors - open minds". It is is a nice place for visitors to get in touch with "real Emiratis" - outside you mostly find people from Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iran, Philippines etc. living and working in this amazing "miracle of steel and glass" between desert and sea that started with some small houses on the banks of the Creek in ancient times. An "intercultural lunch" (or breakfast) is a very nice experience in the picturesque Al Fahidi neighbourhood near the Creek which is for me "the real attraction" in Dubai. Important: Please make a reservation at least some days before if you want to attend such a meeting.

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.

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.

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.

An excellent center that provide out standing information to visitor to understanding the culture of Dubai and the UAE

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.

Really awesome place to learn about the Emirati culture. Had a great time with the friendly hosts and learnt so much. Enjoyed!

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

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

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.

One of the oldest residential area in Dubai. There are a lot of value heritages

A cultural staple that helps you learn more about local traditions, as well as Islam. But it's mostly just an enrapturing cultural experience that is far removed from the concrete, steel and high rises that is the rest of Dubai

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!

a new way to have cultural food in cultural ambiance

I sent my visiting friend to have lunch and learn at the cultural center and it was a great experience for her. They candidly answered questions about Islam too so she liked that.

It was just ok for me. The experience probably depends on who s there and what kind of questions they ask.

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

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!

We attended breakfast with an Emirati session. The food was good. Some of the information was basic. It was nice that they open the floor up for any and all questions.

Great place to start with information on a Old Dubai.

Good for raising awareness of emirati culture. Good food as well.

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, they're 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, you'll make 5 visits in no time!

I think that learning food culture means knowing the country, so it was good to be able to enjoy arabica cuisine. The spice works, but it's not hot and it was delicious and delicious. There were a lot of occasions when it was a kind of hospitality to make more so as not to be missing.

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.

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.

An excellent center that provide out standing information to visitor to understanding the culture of Dubai and the UAE

great and warm hospitality. I love the area and the atmosphere all around Bastakiah . a touch of the past that we all should know about Dubai.

Unique experience of history and food.
You should definitely visit it !!!!!

Fantastic cultural resource. Great presentation of traditional meal

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 UAE's history and this is a perfect place to start.

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..

A wonderful center to learn about civilizations I recommend visiting it and especially with children to teach them things about the past and civilizations

Awesome place to know more about emirati culture and heritage