A UAE national has received recognition for meticulously preserving and documenting his family’s history, creating a detailed record that traces his ancestors and heritage back almost 200 years.
UAE Citizen Earns Award for Chronicling Nearly Two Centuries of Family Heritage.
The family heritage project led by UAE national Ghaith AlSiri focuses on preserving the long and detailed history of the AlSiri family, a lineage whose roots in the United Arab Emirates can be traced back to around 1800 AD. The family is historically linked to the Al-Qemzi tribe, and the documentation effort highlights generations of ancestry connected to this broader tribal and cultural heritage.
Ghaith dedicated more than a year to carefully building and organizing a comprehensive family record that spans from 1828 to the present day. His work includes tracing relationships across multiple generations and compiling information on more than 300 family members. The project was not limited to collecting names and dates; it also involved structuring the information in a way that clearly reflects family connections and lineage across nearly two centuries.
A significant portion of the effort went into working with digital tools and family tree software. According to Ghaith, approximately six months were spent solely on translating and adapting the technical components of the program he used to build the family tree. This step was necessary to ensure that the system could accurately represent the depth and complexity of his family’s history in a usable format.
His dedication to preserving his family’s heritage was eventually recognized at the Erth Dubai Awards, where he received the Best Family Heritage Documentation Award. The honor was presented last month and marked an important milestone in his long personal journey to document his ancestry. The award was conferred under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, highlighting the cultural significance of preserving historical and family records within the country.
Despite the recognition, Ghaith has openly spoken about the doubts he initially had when he first began the project. He admitted that the idea did not immediately appeal to him, especially when it was first suggested by a relative. At the time, he questioned the importance of investing effort into building a detailed family tree and was uncertain about whether the task was necessary.
He recalls responding with hesitation when his cousin initially encouraged him to take on the project, wondering aloud why such an extensive effort was needed to map out family connections. At that stage, he did not fully appreciate the value that such documentation could have for future generations.
However, his perspective began to change significantly after the birth of his daughters, Shamsa and Wadeema. Becoming a father prompted him to think more deeply about identity, family bonds, and the importance of preserving personal history for the next generation.
As he spent more time with his young children, Ghaith noticed how they interacted with extended family members during gatherings. On several occasions, his daughters would ask questions about relatives they had not yet fully recognized, including connections such as his brother’s son. These moments led him to reflect on how fragmented family awareness can become over time, especially as generations grow and spread out.
This realization became a turning point for him. He began to understand that without intentional effort to preserve and organize family history, younger generations might lose touch with their wider familial connections. He felt that if his own children were unable to identify close relatives or understand their relationships within the family structure, it would represent a deeper cultural and personal gap.
Motivated by this realization, Ghaith committed himself more seriously to the project. What started as a hesitant idea gradually developed into a structured and detailed documentation effort spanning centuries of family history. Over time, the work evolved into a comprehensive digital archive that not only preserves names and relationships but also serves as a bridge between past and present generations.
Today, his project stands as both a personal achievement and a cultural contribution, reflecting the importance of documenting family heritage in an era where rapid modernization can sometimes weaken traditional ties. His award at the Erth Dubai Awards recognizes not only the technical effort involved but also the cultural and emotional significance of preserving a family’s legacy across generations.
Labour of love
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What began as a personal initiative soon turned into a deeply engaging and time-consuming project for Ghaith, one that he describes as a genuine labour of dedication and emotional investment. The turning point came when he received a collection of family documents from his cousin, which immediately sparked his commitment to organizing and preserving the information in a structured form.
Once he began reviewing the material, he was taken aback by the sheer volume of photographs, records, and handwritten details that different family members had preserved over the years. What he initially expected to be a small personal archive quickly revealed itself to be a much larger and richer collection of family history than he had imagined. This realization convinced him that the information should not remain scattered among individuals, but instead be brought together in one accessible digital platform where the entire family could benefit from it.
Although Ghaith had only limited experience in website development at the time, he decided to take on the challenge of creating a digital family tree system. He searched for suitable software and eventually found a program designed for building genealogical records. However, the platform was available only in English, which presented an additional challenge for him and other family members more comfortable with Arabic.
Rather than abandoning the idea, he chose to overcome the language barrier himself. Over the course of approximately six months, he devoted his time to carefully translating the software’s interface and source elements so that it could be used in Arabic. This process required patience, persistence, and a significant amount of technical effort, particularly given his limited background in programming. Despite the difficulty, he remained committed to ensuring that the final system would be accessible and user-friendly for his extended family.
As the project progressed, it gradually became clear that this was no longer simply about entering names or building a chart of relationships. The process evolved into something much more meaningful, involving continuous interaction with family members and the discovery of personal stories that had not been formally recorded before.
A major source of information came from elderly relatives, who held valuable knowledge about family connections, past generations, and historical details that were not documented elsewhere. Ghaith spent considerable time speaking with them, gathering memories, clarifying relationships, and verifying information. These conversations became an essential part of the project, transforming it into an intergenerational exchange rather than a purely technical task.
Through these interactions, he noticed a noticeable change in his relationship with older members of the family. What began as occasional inquiries about names and relationships gradually developed into more frequent and meaningful communication. The project created a natural reason to reconnect with relatives he may not have spoken to regularly before, strengthening familial ties in the process.
As discussions deepened, conversations often revolved around questions of identity and lineage. Family members would collectively try to recall how individuals were connected, who belonged to which branch of the family, and how different generations were linked. These collaborative efforts not only helped fill gaps in the family record but also encouraged a shared sense of curiosity and engagement among relatives.
Over time, Ghaith realized that the project had grown into something far more significant than he had originally intended. It was no longer just about compiling data; it had become a way of preserving collective memory and reinforcing relationships across generations. The process gave him a clearer understanding of his own heritage and allowed him to see his family history as a connected narrative rather than isolated fragments.
He also reflected on how the experience changed his personal perspective. By working closely with older relatives and documenting their memories, he gained a deeper appreciation for the importance of preserving oral history before it is lost. The project became both a learning journey and a means of strengthening emotional bonds within the family.
In the end, what started as a technical exercise in building a digital family tree evolved into a meaningful cultural and personal mission. It bridged generational gaps, encouraged regular communication among relatives, and created a lasting record that future generations can continue to explore and build upon.
The AlSiri family
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Ghaith AlSiri’s family heritage project is rooted in preserving the long-standing history of the AlSiri family, whose lineage in the United Arab Emirates can be traced back to around 1800 AD. The family is historically connected to the Al-Qemzi tribe, a lineage that holds cultural and social significance in the region. Through his work, Ghaith has sought to document not only names and relationships, but also the broader story of a family whose presence spans multiple generations in the UAE.
Among the notable historical details uncovered during his research is the role that members of his family played in managing a significant heritage site. Family members were entrusted with overseeing the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s historic farm located in Al Khawaneej. This responsibility continued for more than fifty years, reflecting a long-standing trust and connection between the family and an important national heritage location. The farm itself has since been recognized as a national landmark, further highlighting its cultural and historical importance within the country.
Ghaith’s documentation project gained wider recognition when it was featured at the Erth Awards, a prestigious initiative dedicated to celebrating efforts that preserve the cultural memory and living heritage of Dubai. The awards attracted a large number of submissions, reportedly exceeding 25,000 entries from individuals, institutions, and cultural contributors. From this extensive pool of participants, Ghaith’s work stood out for its depth, scope, and commitment to preserving intergenerational history.
Other notable honorees at the same event included individuals and organizations such as Nasser Al Serkal and a cultural establishment known as Uncle’s Shop, both of which were recognized for their contributions to maintaining and promoting aspects of local heritage. The awards ceremony highlighted a broader national effort to encourage the documentation and preservation of stories, traditions, and historical records that form part of the UAE’s collective identity.
During the event, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, addressed the importance of safeguarding personal and collective histories. He emphasized the idea that without proper documentation, legacies risk being lost over time. His remarks underscored a wider cultural message that preserving memory is essential for ensuring that future generations remain connected to their roots and historical identity.
For Ghaith, receiving recognition at such a high-profile event served as a powerful affirmation of the path he had chosen. The acknowledgment reinforced his belief that documenting family history is not merely a personal interest, but also a meaningful contribution to preserving cultural continuity. He expressed that the award validated the years of effort he had invested in collecting, organizing, and structuring his family’s extensive genealogical record.
Beyond recognition, Ghaith now hopes that his work will inspire others to undertake similar efforts within their own families. He believes that many families possess rich histories that often remain undocumented or are preserved only through oral storytelling. By creating structured records, he hopes others will also recognize the importance of safeguarding their heritage for future generations.
Despite the completion of a large portion of his project, Ghaith emphasizes that his work is far from finished. The family tree continues to evolve as new generations are born and family connections expand. He has explained that maintaining an accurate and up-to-date record requires continuous effort, as family structures naturally grow and change over time.
He has shared that even today, he remains actively involved in updating the digital archive. New entries are regularly added as family events take place, including marriages and the birth of new children. These updates ensure that the family tree remains a living document rather than a static record.
Recent additions to the project include new family members born within his extended family, as well as updates following a recent marriage within his brother Saeed’s family. Each of these developments contributes to the ongoing expansion of the genealogical record, reflecting the dynamic and evolving nature of family life.
On a personal level, Ghaith has also added his own daughter, Hessa, born in November, to the family tree. Her inclusion, along with other newborn members of the family, symbolizes the continuation of the lineage he has worked so carefully to document. For him, each new entry represents not just a name on a chart, but a living connection between past, present, and future generations.
He describes the project as an ongoing journey rather than a completed task. As long as the family continues to grow, he intends to keep updating and refining the record. In his view, the preservation of family history is a continuous responsibility that evolves alongside life itself.
Ultimately, Ghaith’s work reflects a broader commitment to heritage preservation and identity. By combining technology, personal dedication, and family collaboration, he has created a living archive that connects generations and ensures that their shared history is not lost over time. His efforts demonstrate how individual initiative can contribute meaningfully to cultural preservation, while also strengthening family bonds across time.
