Four ambitious Emirati high school students have pioneered an innovative artificial intelligence application dedicated to safeguarding the United Arab Emirates’ rich maritime legacy from fading into obscurity. Mohammed AlNuaimi and Khaled AlHammadi, both aged 17, alongside 16-year-old collaborators Saeed AlHashmi and Majid AlHammadi, invested two years developing Sanara—an iOS platform that transforms traditional fishing implements and marine artifacts into interactive cultural repositories.
The application, named after the Arabic term for ‘fishing hook,’ employs sophisticated AI scanning technology that enables users to capture images of maritime objects through their smartphone cameras. The system instantly generates detailed explanations about the historical utilization and cultural relevance of each item. For example, when directed at a gargoor—a conventional fish trap—the application elucidates its functional purpose and historical significance within Emirati seafaring traditions.
Despite commencing with no prior expertise in Swift programming language, the determined quartet from Grade 12 at Applied Technology High School mastered the necessary technical skills through self-directed learning. Their most formidable challenge involved perfecting the AI recognition mechanism, which required approximately two weeks of iterative testing and model retraining to achieve operational reliability.
The development process extended far beyond digital research, incorporating ethnographic fieldwork at the Emirates Heritage Village and conducting in-depth interviews with community elders, including their own family members. The team even filmed their application presentation aboard a traditional dhow while adorned in authentic fishing attire to demonstrate their commitment to cultural authenticity.
Beyond the core scanning functionality, Sanara incorporates educational modules covering pearl diving customs, traditional Nahma sea chants, regional marine biodiversity, and Reef Words—a vocabulary-based game centered on heritage terminology. Since its debut on the iOS App Store, the application has garnered approximately 1,000 global downloads, receiving positive feedback for its seamless integration of contemporary technology with cultural preservation.
The project recently secured victory in the National iOS Design Competition organized by Sandooq Al Wattan, culminating in a showcase presentation at ADNEC. While the AI recognition system remains in beta phase with occasional identification inaccuracies, the developers continue to refine its capabilities. They intend to pursue further application enhancements post-graduation, aspiring to inspire younger Emiratis to engage with their maritime ancestry and ensure these oceanic narratives endure for future generations.