The Deira Clock Tower was once the visual representation of Dubai.
This was before the World Trade Centre marked the beginning of the emirate’s southward expansion, away from the creek; before Burj Al Arab rose with the city’s booming reputation for luxury and hospitality; before Burj Khalifa loomed as Dubai’s symbol of a global business and tourist hub.
And yet, even after all these years and architectural triumphs, the humble clock tower remains distinct in its design and retains its significance – not merely as a landmark, but as a touchstone of Dubai's history and visual identity.
And it all began with the clock itself.
It came as a present in the 1960s to Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed, Ruler of Dubai, from his son-in-law, Sheikh Ahmad Al Thani, Ruler of Qatar.
The clock’s magnificence inspired Sheikh Rashid to commission a tower to display the timepiece in public. Behind the design was Zaki Al Homsi, a Syrian with Architecture Design Construction and who was later granted UAE citizenship.
The clock tower’s position in Deira was selected because it was one of the busiest areas in the emirate at the time. It marked the first major road that connected Bur Dubai and Deira at Al Maktoum Bridge. It would also be one of the first attractions greeting visitors arriving by ship to the creek, as well as the international airport.
The clock tower was built within a year, being officially completed in 1965. With its curved arches and pinpoint top, the design had several elements inspired by classical Arab design and yet, with a minimalist touch, it also was decidedly modern. In many ways, the clock tower represented Dubai’s mission of honouring tradition while being cutting edge.
Unsurprisingly, the monument has undergone plenty of maintenance work since it was built. There were restorative repairs to its concrete. The tower’s construction utilised beach sand and its high salt content had begun to deteriorate in the early 1970s. In the following decade, its condition worsened and the clock tower had to be rebuilt. As the traffic flow in Dubai increased, the tower was moved several metres to make room for a new underpass. The clock face was also refurbished, reportedly by Seiko.
In 2008, the clock was replaced entirely by a model from Omega. The brand’s name can be seen in red at the top. The clock’s face is adorned with an eight-pointed star, which holds special significance in Islam, having connotations of balance and harmony. Arabic numbers representing the hours of the day are featured round a ring encircling the octagram.
The clock tower roundabout underwent a Dh10 million ($2.7 million) restoration last year. Dubai Municipality led the project with the aim of enlivening the structure. It included the addition of more greenery, modern lighting, painting work and an upgrade to the water fountain. The restoration initiative was aimed at "breathing new life into the iconic landmark", the municipality said.
The clock tower is one of Dubai’s first architectural feats and much like the city itself, is keeping up with modern technology. A smart sensor has been installed in the upgraded fountain, to allow for water jets to respond to changes in wind speed.
The clock tower's significance in the emirate's history was emphasised when Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, announced this month that the site would be part of a project aimed at preserving the city's heritage.
The second phase of the scheme will focus on the preservation of 35 areas, sites and buildings dating from the 1960s to the 1990s. As well as the clock tower, sites include Jumeirah Zoo, Rashid Tower, the Dubai Petroleum building, Terminal 1 at Dubai International Airport, Dubai Municipality's main building, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Palace - Za'abeel, the Dubai Land Department building and the Dubai Courts building.
"We have a responsibility to celebrate our history and protect our architectural treasures for future generations," Sheikh Hamdan said in a statement released by the Dubai Government Media Office.
"The heritage areas covered by the project hold the memory of decades of progress and symbolise the dawn of Dubai's renaissance. Located in the heart of modern Dubai, these sites bridge the past with the city's future aspirations."
Stage 2 results
1 Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal 04:18:18
2 Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:00:02
3 Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 00:00:04
4 Diego Ulissi (ITA) UAE Team Emirates
5 Rick Zabel (GER) Israel Start-Up Nation
General Classification
1 Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal 07:47:19
2 Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:00:12
3 Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 00:00:16
4 Nikolai Cherkasov (RUS) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:00:17
5 Alexey Lutsensko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team 00:00:19
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Cry Macho
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam
Rating:**
The figures behind the event
1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew
2) 165 staff assigned to sanitise public areas throughout the show
3) 1,000 social distancing stickers
4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
INDIA SQUADS
India squad for third Test against Sri Lanka
Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Vijay Shankar
India squad for ODI series against Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
MATCH INFO
Maratha Arabians 107-8 (10 ovs)
Lyth 21, Lynn 20, McClenaghan 20 no
Qalandars 60-4 (10 ovs)
Malan 32 no, McClenaghan 2-9
Maratha Arabians win by 47 runs
