Look: UAE Woman Quits Job to Turn Emirati Heritage into Handcrafted Dolls
From Office Work to Handmade Dolls
What began as an interest outside working hours has developed into a full-time creative journey for Emirati artist Hanadi Badow.
Badow, who is from Abu Dhabi and holds a diploma in graphic design, previously worked for a semi-government organisation. While she was comfortable in her career, her interest in creating dolls continued to grow.
As the craft demanded increasing amounts of time and concentration, she eventually decided to leave her job and dedicate herself to dollmaking.
Her decision marked a major change in her professional life, turning a personal creative interest into a business and cultural project.
Six Years of Learning and Experimenting
Badow developed her skills largely through self-learning. She studied designs, watched instructional videos and repeatedly experimented with different techniques until she developed her own working process.
She has now spent around six years working with the craft and is entering her seventh year. Unlike factory-produced toys, her creations require considerable hands-on work.
According to the artist, one doll can require approximately four to five days of continuous work, depending on its design and finishing details.
- She is an Emirati artist from Abu Dhabi.
- She holds a diploma in graphic design.
- She previously worked for a semi-government organisation.
- She developed her dollmaking skills largely through self-learning.
- She has spent around six years developing the craft.
- A single doll can take four to five days of work.
- Her dolls incorporate Emirati clothing and cultural details.
- Her creations have appeared at UAE cultural and heritage events.
A Collection That Started With 14 Dolls
After developing her first designs, Badow created an Instagram presence to introduce her work to a wider audience. With assistance from a friend with photography and marketing, she presented an initial collection of around 14 dolls.
The response brought orders and encouraged her to continue expanding the collection. Customers can select details such as clothing, colours and hair, while Badow maintains the distinctive visual character of each creation.
The dolls can also be given names. For personalised orders, customers may request a child's name, while exhibition pieces can receive names selected by Badow herself.
More Than Just a Toy
The concept behind Badow's dolls goes beyond creating decorative figures. Their clothing, styling and accessories are designed to represent elements of Emirati identity.
The artist's work reflects traditional garments and visual details associated with the UAE. Her approach allows children to see cultural elements represented through a character that can also be used for play and storytelling.
The idea of connecting children with heritage through handmade objects has also been documented by Tashkeel, which notes that Badow learned the traditional dollmaking practice from her grandmother and uses locally sourced fabrics in details including the shayla, kandura, abaya and burka.
From Heritage Events to a Wider Audience
Badow has participated in heritage activities and cultural events around the UAE. Her work has also been featured in exhibitions connected with the country's creative community.
Tashkeel's artist profile identifies Badow as a maker of traditional Emirati dolls and notes her participation in heritage festivities, including the Maritime Heritage Festival organised by Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism.
Her work has also appeared in Tashkeel's Made in Tashkeel exhibition programme.
Unexpected Attention at Abu Dhabi Exhibition
A major turning point came during the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2026.
Badow had hoped to have a dedicated space at the event but instead joined a smaller shared gallery area after another artist offered her a place to display the dolls.
Videos showing the moving creations subsequently circulated on social media, attracting visitors to the display.
The latest dolls were designed with greater movement and interaction in mind. Some are created in a marionette-style format, allowing visitors to see them move.
Traditional Movement Becomes Part of the Design
One of the newer creations features movement inspired by Emirati folk traditions. This adds another layer to the dolls, combining handmade craftsmanship with an interactive presentation.
The exhibition response also demonstrated that the creations appeal beyond young children. Adults stopped to watch, photograph and interact with the dolls.
Following the event, Badow said she received enquiries from government entities, nurseries, media organisations and television channels, along with interest related to upcoming National Day activities.
Keeping Emirati Identity at the Centre
For Badow, cultural identity is central to the purpose of her work. The dolls are intended to give Emirati and Arab children characters whose clothing and appearance are familiar to them.
Her designs draw attention to traditional garments and details while presenting them in a form that can connect with younger audiences.
The artist has also expressed an ambition to take the work beyond the UAE and introduce international audiences to the country's heritage through her handcrafted creations.
Why Handmade Dolls Matter
Handcrafted cultural objects can provide another way for younger generations to encounter traditional clothing, customs and artistic practices.
Badow's approach is particularly personal because her own connection to dollmaking developed through learning and experimentation, while the wider tradition is linked to older Emirati craft practices.
Her work demonstrates how heritage can be presented through contemporary creative products without removing the cultural details that give them meaning.
Watch the Dolls in Action
Videos of Hanadi Badow's moving dolls attracted attention during her appearance at the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2026. The original Khaleej Times report includes coverage of the creations and their response among visitors.
WATCH ORIGINAL VIDEO / REPORTVideo Credit: Khaleej Times / footage associated with the original report.
From Passion to a Cultural Mission
Badow's journey shows how a personal creative interest can develop into a specialised craft. After years of learning and refining her techniques, she has built a collection that combines handmade production with Emirati cultural representation.
Her decision to leave a secure job allowed her to devote more time to the craft, while exhibitions and social-media exposure have introduced the dolls to a much wider audience.
The artist's next ambition is to take her creations beyond the UAE and use them to introduce more people around the world to Emirati heritage and culture.
