A bridge between our roots and Antofagasta.

The first Syrian, Palestinian and Lebanese immigrants arrived in Antofagasta in the late nineteenth century, at the height of the nitrate boom. Most of them worked in trade, and they soon formed an active community in the port and in the nitrate towns.

In 1908 they founded the Club Sirio Palestino de Antofagasta, one of the first Arab institutions in Chile. Families such as the Zalaquetts took part in it, along with figures like the poet Jean Zalaquett and Mary Yanni de Atala. By 1931, the Lebanese Ladies' Society was also active.

Over the years, the club became inactive and lost the property it owned in the city. But the community never stopped coming together.

In 1983, the Festival of Foreign Communities of Antofagasta was born. Descendants of Syrians, Palestinians and Lebanese organized once again to take part, and from that effort the Al Ard al Baiida Ballet was born.

In 1985, Unión Árabe de Antofagasta was founded as the heir to the old Club Sirio Palestino. Its roots therefore go back to 1908, placing it among the oldest Arab institutions in the country.

Its past presidents include Yimha Chariff Tala Zalaquett, Talep García, José Facusse, Michel Calas Chamme, Armando Bravo Halabi and Rodrigo Farías, among others. Today it is led by Verónica Bravo Boggioni.

Today, Unión Árabe keeps this legacy alive through its ballet, its commemorations and its role in the cultural life of Antofagasta.