The late, great British explorer and author Sir Wilfred Thesiger's life story is inextricably linked with the history of the UAE.
He's known, among many other accomplishments, for his 1959 literary masterpiece Arabian Sands, which documented his gruelling crossing and recrossing of the Empty Quarter, taking in today's UAE, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman.
But also well known was his close friendship with UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, whom he met on many occasions, the first time in 1947.
On February 20, 2000, three years before Thesiger's death, Sheikh Zayed honoured him with the Order of Independence, one of the UAE's highest awards. Then 89, Thesiger was decorated with the sash by Sheikh Zayed's son, Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who was then the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, at a special ceremony in Bateen Palace.
“The decoration, presented on the instructions of President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, was awarded to Thesiger in recognition of his long friendship for the people of the Emirates and his service to the country,” Sheikh Hamdan said, as was reported then by state news agency Wam.
Thesiger said he accepted the decoration with “feelings of great honour and pleasure.”
“The journeys across the Empty Quarter for which it was awarded have always been the most important journeys that I have made,” he added. “These journeys over 50 years ago were made possible for me by the assistance and encouragement which I received from Sheikh Zayed.”
Writing in The National in 2019, the late author and cultural historian Peter Hellyer, who also met Thesiger on many of his visits to the UAE, recalled the occasion with great pride.
“A few years before his death, I attended the ceremony in which he was given a medal awarded to him by Sheikh Zayed. One of Sheikh Zayed’s sons presented it to him and I recall, with amusement, a conversation about Sheikh Zayed’s age,” Hellyer writes. “Thesiger said: 'I am now nearly 90. Looking back to when we first met in 1947, he must have been around 30. So now he must be over 80.'
“Sheikh Zayed’s son laughed, saying: 'None of us would dare to tell him he was that old!'”
One of the last great European explorers, Thesiger first visited the UAE in 1946 during an epic journey across the Empty Quarter with several Bedu companions. He made further journeys in the area between 1947 and 1950, including a second crossing of the Empty Quarter. His journeys became the basis of Arabian Sands, which provides a unique record of life in the deserts of south-eastern Arabia before the discovery of oil.
Thesiger was also an expert photographer, his pictures capturing the people and scenery of Arabia before modernisation. He photographed an incredible 35,000 images of Abu Dhabi and the surrounding areas, including those of Sheikh Zayed. A companion coffee table book to Arabian Sands, called Crossing Sands, was also released later, which Thesiger dedicated to Sheikh Zayed.
Thesiger wrote many other books, including The Marsh Arabs, The Last Nomad, The Life of My Choice and Visions of a Nomad.
In Arabian Sands, he described Abu Dhabi as a “small dilapidated town which stretched along the shore”. He also wrote about how he and his companions sat outside the walls of the imposing Qasr Al Hosn fort near some small cannons that were half-buried in sand, as they waited to be admitted. Eventually they were ushered in to meet Sheikh Shakhbut, the then Ruler of Abu Dhabi, who lived there.
The group remained in Abu Dhabi for 20 days, staying in a dilapidated house near the market. The town then had 2,000 inhabitants.
“Each morning the sheikhs visited us, walking slowly across from the castle,” he wrote. “We talked for an hour or more, drinking coffee and eating sweets, and, after they had left us, we visited the market, where we sat cross-legged in the small shops, gossiping and drinking more coffee.”
Of Sheikh Zayed, Thesiger wrote: “He had a great reputation among the Bedu. They liked him for his easy, informal ways and his friendliness, and they respected his force of character, his shrewdness and his physical strength.
“They said admiringly ‘Zayed is a Bedu. He knows about camels, can ride like one of us, can shoot, and knows how to fight’.”
Thesiger died in London on August 24, 2003, at the age of 93. Sheikh Zayed passed away a year later, on November 2, 2004, during Ramadan. He was 84.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
More coverage from the Future Forum
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MO
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Honeymoonish
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 2 (Willems 25', Shelvey 88')
Manchester City 2 (Sterling 22', De Bruyne 82')
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
