Along Abu Dhabi's Mina Zayed, a community has been quietly disappearing. In the past few years, hundreds of fishermen, part of a once-thriving profession in the port area, have left the country.
Ramesh and Ibrahim, whose names have been changed for anonymity, are among those who have recently said their goodbyes to the UAE. For nearly three decades, the two fishermen worked side-by-side, living on the wooden fishing vessels dotting the port and relying on their catch to earn a living.
They are the central subjects of a new photo essay by Nandini Kochar, 22, a film, social research and public policy student at New York University Abu Dhabi. Kochar, who grew up in Botswana and is of Indian origin, spent two weeks visiting Mina Zayed, speaking to the fishermen about their time in the country. Her images document the men's last few weeks in the UAE, from their daily activities, their emptied living quarters to their farewells.
Through her conversations with Ramesh, Ibrahim and others in March, Kochar learnt that about 200 of them, most of whom are from the Indian state of Gujarat, have returned home since January.
The root causes of their departure are complex. For years, climate change, coastal development, pollution, habitat destruction and unsustainable fishing practices have all contributed to the depletion of the UAE's fish stocks.
The Abu Dhabi government has been trying to reverse this damage with recent regulations, including a ban on the use of gargoor or traditional fishing cages, which have been found to affect key species, such as hammour and sheri. A study by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) has found that 85 per cent of the UAE's hammour populations have been wiped out. With these restrictions, the government aims to restore fish stocks to 30 per cent by 2030.
The situation, however, has left the fishermen in a state of uncertainty over when they can fish again. As their catch has dwindled, so too have their earnings.
For the most part, Kochar says, the fishermen’s days are filled with the “the simple act of waiting” – making meals, praying together, listening to Bollywood music.
“Some of the men who have stayed behind were asked to safeguard the area and keep the boats clean, so that is now part of their daily routine,” she says.
But for Ramesh, his income of Dh1,000 per month was not enough to support his family back home. In March, he and Ibrahim packed up and returned to India, leaving behind a tight-knit community that they've known for decades.
“They were happy that they were going to be able to go back home and reunite with their families, but at the same time, they had so much love for the community that they created over the last 20 or more years,” Kochar says.
For most of these fishermen, their lives revolve around the sea and each other – they stay in shared quarters, with a number of them living in the dhow’s cabins. During the busy season, they can spend days at sea hauling in fish. They work, eat, pray together. “We have lived together for many years, it’s difficult to leave. All of us are Gujarati folk. We celebrated both Eid and Diwali together, cooked and even prayed together,” Ibrahim says.
Kochar describes the day of their departure as emotional, as their fellow fishermen gathered around to wish them well. "In casual conversation, the men would talk about how they were like a family, though they barely showed any explicit affection.
“But on the last day, you saw the men hold on to each other tightly. They were touching the elders’ feet, which is a way of getting blessings in Hindu culture,” she recalls.
"Some of these men have lived here longer than they've lived with their families back in India," Kochar says. Ramesh and Ibrahim hope to keep fishing. "They were very proud to be fishermen. They would say: 'My grandfather was a fisherman. My father was fisherman. I'm a fisherman. I'm always going to be a fisherman.' In that sense, they had a very strong connection to their profession," she adds.
For those who remain, the vision for Mina Zayed's future may not include them. The area is slated for transformation. There are plans for a new marina, souqs, restaurants and a cultural quarter around the arts centre Warehouse421.
Kochar's work draws inspiration from a 2017 photo essay on Mina Zayed's fishermen by photographer Sohail Karmani, who is also her professor. In the course of her project, the aspiring filmmaker says she learnt how to get closer to her subjects as a way to capture their interior lives.
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Scroll through to see Sohail Karmani's photo essay from 2017
'Avengers: Infinity War'
Dir: The Russo Brothers
Starring: Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Robert Downey Junior, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen
Four stars
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Racecard
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah Group Two (PA) US$55,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Meydan Trophy (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,900m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,200m
8.15pm: Balanchine Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,000m
9.25pm: Firebreak Stakes Group Three (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections: 6.30pm: RM Lam Tara, 7.05pm: Al Mukhtar Star, 7.40pm: Bochart, 8.15pm: Magic Lily, 8.50pm: Roulston Scar, 9.25pm: Quip, 10pm: Jalmoud
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
ZIMBABWE V UAE, ODI SERIES
All matches at the Harare Sports Club:
1st ODI, Wednesday - Zimbabwe won by 7 wickets
2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
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