When the United Arab Emirates turns 42 on December 2, the country will erupt in celebrations of national pride. But while everyone looks to the future, TOAD is taking the opportunity to rewind.
Ever wondered what the UAE was like before it was the UAE? Us too – and now, as the nation celebrates its 42nd National Day on December 2, TOAD looks back to the time when it was just a twinkle in Sheikh Zayed’s eye.
Once under the rule of the Portuguese, then the Ottomans, the region became colonised by the British in 1820 when the British Navy arrived to safeguard their trade links with India.
The area became known as the Trucial States, which was made up of a collection of sheikhdoms stretching 83,000sq km – roughly the same size of North America’s Lake Superior. The Trucial States stretched from the south coast of the Arabian Gulf to the north west coast of the Gulf of Oman.
When Britain announced its intention to leave the Gulf, the original plan was to create a single nation made up of Bahrain, Qatar and Trucial Coast states. But negotiations were unsuccessful, leading to the independence of Bahrain and Qatar.
Once the Brits left in 1971, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi became the first president of the United Arab Emirates – the UAE. The country was made up of six states; Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain, Ajman and Fujairah – Ras Al Khaimah joined the following year.
So now we all know why we’re here, find out how you can celebrate come December 2 – then get waving that flag with pride.
Key dates in the UAE’shistory
1498: The Portuguese arrive in the region.
1500s: The Ottoman Navy defeats Portuguese forces and drives them from the area.
1820: The British assert their naval power in the region.
1930s: The Japanese invent the cultured pearl, devastating the Trucial States pearl industry.
1962: Abu Dhabi begins exporting oil.
1968: Britain announces it will leave the Gulf.
1969: Dubai begins exporting oil.
July 1971: Six Trucial States – Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain, Ajman and Fujairah – agree on a Federal Constitution.
December 1971: The Trucial States win independence from Britain, forming the United Arab Emirates on what is now National Day. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi takes office as the first UAE president.
February 1972: The remaining sheikhdom, Ras Al Khaimah, joins the UAE.
November 2004: Sheikh Zayed passes away and his son, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, becomes president.
In the spotlight
Nicholas Cochrane-Dyet, 55, first visited the UAE in 1965, and has lived here since 1975. He talks to TOAD about how the country has changed since its inception.
What brought you to the UAE?
My father, who was in the British Army, was posted to Al Ain with my mother while I stayed in a boarding school in the UK. I came here for the first time when I was eight, during the summer holidays, then every summer after that until I moved here permanently at 17.
Where did you live?
When I arrived in 1965, there was nothing – just sand dunes. We lived in the Oman Trucial Scouts’ headquarters known as Al Jahili Fort, which is now a tourist attraction. Most people lived in tents or palm-fringed huts made from animal skins and camel hair.
It must have been a culture shock…
Life was very different. Men weren’t in smart white dishdashas as there were no washing machines back then. We didn’t even have cutlery – we ate with our hands. Water was scarce as it was shipped in from Bahrain, so we cleaned our hands by rubbing them with sand. Life was a big adventure.
What did you eat?
Everything we wanted, such as cereal, toothpaste or Marmite, we brought from the UK. There were no malls back then – there weren’t even shops. We ate healthy, organic food; goats, dates, camel milk and rice imported from Asia. I didn’t get bored with the lack of choice because we didn’t know what choice was. We enjoyed mutton feasts, but the concept of a ‘treat’ didn’t exist.
As a child, what games did you play?
We had to be inventive, we didn’t have computer games or board games. I played marbles with local kids and I had a pet gazelle. We were lucky to have the biggest sandpit in the world. We’d toboggan on trays down the dunes.
Why did you move to the UAE?
I chose to move here because I’d grown up here. I liked the people, who are warm and friendly. The Emirati expression, bayti baytak, means ‘my house is your house’, even if someone lived in a shack, they were welcoming. What little we had, we shared. I later moved to Abu Dhabi for work, aged 28.
What was Abu Dhabi like then?
I’d visited Abu Dhabi in the ’60s and ’70s. In the ’60s there were no traffic lights, no roundabouts, no roads. There weren’t any bridges, either, so if you wanted to cross the creek you had to time the tide. We didn’t have air-con but people didn’t complain about being hot because they didn’t know what it was like to be cold.
By the ’70s, we’d found oil. We got fans and air-con, banks and buildings; a city infrastructure began to develop. Even then, people complained about the traffic! In 1979, I went to the opening of the Dubai World Trade Centre and saw Queen Elizabeth II.
I moved to Abu Dhabi in 1986, around the time we got our first supermarket, which was exciting. I lived in Al Bateen, where the InterContinental is now. But back then it was the country, and you needed a four-wheel drive to get to it. I moved the year of the oil crash, so construction came to a halt. In the ’90s, building slowed.
How have the National Day celebrations changed over the years?
The earliest National Day I remember was in the ’70s, in Al Ain. We had a parade and I saw Sheikh Zayed in an armchair in a tent, when smart armchairs were hard to come by. The celebration is more modern nowadays, with a colourful car parade, but the spirit is the same.
Do you feel positive about the future of the UAE?
When I moved to the UAE exercise was part of life, but now we live a sedentary lifestyle. Diabetes is rising, which is a concern. On the positive side, we’re moving towards an eco-friendly society. We’re being educated about solar energy and recycling. Emiratis want their country to prosper. There are lots of opportunities here, so I’m excited about the future.
Painting the town red (and green, black and white)
A total of 63,410 fireworks will go off with a bang come National Day weekend, with 11 fireworks displays at six sites across the UAE. The Spanish fireworks company Pirotècnia Igual will be responsible for the shows, and they were the ones behind Rio de Janeiro’s Reveillon – the biggest New Year party in the world. Be prepared to be wowed.
The Corniche
Leave your car at home on December 1 and 2 because the streets around the Corniche will be heaving with life. The Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority has planned a busy schedule of children’s games and entertainment, while the Heritage Village on the Breakwater will be open from 9am-10pm on December 2. As well as the village’s usual attractions such as workshops, there will be a traditional market and handicraft demonstrations of leatherware, glassware and knife production. You can also hop on a traditional rowing boat for a ride along the Corniche. The boat trips are free and can fit up to ten people at a time. They will run every half an hour 4.30pm-7pm. Stay in the area to snap up a prime spot for the 12-minute firework show that will start at 9pm on both days. It’ll be visible from the Hiltonia Beach Club all the way to the public beach.
Yas Island
Head to the car park of Du Forum on Yas Island on December 2 for family entertainment from 2pm. At 5pm, watch thousands of drivers honking their horns while taking part in the state’s annual car parade. The cars will be decorated in the colours of the national flag in a bid to bag a Guinness World Record – see p14-15 for more details. The parade finale will be celebrated with a three-minute firework show at 8pm, followed by a free concert in Du Forum.
Khor Al Maqta
A three-minute firework display will erupt at 8.30pm on December 1 and 2, at Khor Al Maqta in front of the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr Hotel. Get there early to secure a good view, or book a table at one of the Fairmont, Shangri-La or Trader’s restaurants that line the water’s edge.
Al Ain
Head to Hili Fun City on December 1 and 2 to watch a ten-minute fireworks show, starting at 8.30pm. Entry to the theme park is free.
Meanwhile, from 11am November 30 to December 2, head to Al Ain International Airport to watch daredevil performances as part of the tenth Al Ain Aerobatic Show. There will also be family entertainment on the ground. Show tickets costs Dhs40 for adults, Dhs20 for under 12s. The Fly Pass package costs Dhs125 and includes tickets to the aerobatic show, Al Ain Zoo (including Feed The Giraffe passes) and Wadi Adventure for two people and a 30 percent discount on Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club facilities. For more details visit www.alainaerobaticshow.com.
Al Gharbia
In the Western Region, seven-minute shows will run at 8.30pm on December 1 and 2 from Madinat Zayed Cultural Centre and Dalma Island beach, while three-minute shows will be fired at 8.30pm in Sila on December 1 and 2.
In the spotlight
Gulizar Jonian, 63, moved to the UAE in 1976. She reflects on how the country has transformed during her time here.
What brought you to the UAE?
When I was 26, I was working as an architect in England when my boss made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I came to the UAE with my husband. We arrived at Abu Dhabi’s only airport terminal on the only flight of the day. Groups of men were waiting for us because there was nothing else to do; back then a trip to the airport was an outing.
What were your first impressions?
I arrived in November, and all the streets were lit up with red and green lights. I thought it was for Christmas, but it was for National Day.
Where did you live?
There weren’t many hotels back then. For two months I stayed in the Khalidiya Palace which was the end of the island then, before reclaimed land was added. It’s now Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan by Rotana. Then I moved into a new high-rise apartment on the corner of 9th Street and Airport Road.
Did you meet local women?
Everyone I met was friendly, but I didn’t see many Emirati women. On my first day at work, my new male colleagues stopped what they were doing and stared. I just smiled and said, ‘Carry on’. I met my first female secretary in 1993. I was so happy to see her.
How has Abu Dhabi changed?
When I arrived there were fewer islands than there are now. Al Maryah was empty, the place to go for snorkelling or fishing. The Corniche was just sand, with nothing in the distance – Lulu island didn’t exist. Sometimes waves washed over the road. It was around that time the breakwater was conceived. Through work, I was lucky enough to see a model of the Corniche of the future. It had cafés, fountains, gardens and benches – just like it has today.
What changes did you notice in the ’80s?
The early ’80s was a busy time. Oil companies expanded; it was the era of the construction boom. Buildings, hotels, apartments were popping up. People from all over the world – not just the UK – were arriving, and the city felt alive. But then recession hit, construction stopped and lots of people left. I left for England in 1985 and came back in 1993.
How did the ’90s compare to the ’80s?
When I came back, the city was unrecognisable – I needed a map! There were more streets, more buildings, more shops. The airport had expanded and the single-storey houses with small front yards behind Hamdan Street were being knocked down to make way for high rises. Still, there was lots of empty land between buildings – now there are no gaps. Qasr Al Hosn, or the Cultural Foundation in Al Hosn, was the place to be. It had a well-stocked library, exhibitions and a theatre showing ballet and musical performances. Before that, there were no cultural institutions – not like now. Now we have Saadiyat to close that gap.
How will you celebrate National Day?
In the past, I’d go to watch dancers on the Corniche, on the sand. But now the traffic is so bad I don’t go, it’s too busy. I’ll watch the parade on TV instead.
Do you feel positive about the future of the UAE?
The UAE is a great place to work and live, because everyone’s so welcoming to new people. The country is a mosaic of cultures. I like that expats and locals are developing closer friendships because we can learn from one another. I see a bright future.
