Related: How the UAE is safeguarding its history in huge recording drive
At first glance, it is simply a camel train carrying a cargo of firewood across a water channel.
A tower guards the crossing, while the sea and sky project a timeless world of endless blue.
But this was a world about to experience torrents of change barely comprehensible to anyone living there then.
This image was taken in Abu Dhabi in the early 1960s and it shows the Al Maqta causeway that crossed the strait of water separating Abu Dhabi island from the mainland.
There was complete silence and no light pollution. Unique
Alan Horan
This was Abu Dhabi’s link to the rest of modern-day UAE and, before the causeway was built, could only be crossed safely at one point and at low tide.
The striking photograph was taken by oil engineer, Alan Horan, who had arrived in the spring of 1960.
Two years earlier Abu Dhabi had struck oil. Change was coming. But the town was experiencing an interlude before life would be transformed beyond all recognition.
But the photo itself already shows flickers of the changes that were coming. The causeway of stone blocks on which the camels walk was only built just a few years earlier to allow easier access for vehicles to pass without having to wait for low tides as the oil exploration drive gathered pace.
"My recollection is that I did not specifically set out to photograph the Maqta crossing," Mr Horan told The National. "I must have been on a journey or just exploring the island."
Abu Dhabi in the old days
Mr Horan, who was born in Egypt and earned a PhD in the UK, was appointed the chief local representative for Abu Dhabi Marine Areas Limited oil company, which had made that first discovery in 1958. He recalls a place practically untouched by development.
“Abu Dhabi was an island surrounded by creeks with extensive and beautiful coral reefs,” Mr Horan, who said he lived in a compound on the western side of Abu Dhabi, told The National.
"In those days there was nothing beyond us with Saadiyat Island in the distance."
Mr Horan, now in his 90s and living back in London, recalled how in those days with strong north-westerly winds and high tide, the sea would flood the areas immediately by the shoreline, surrounding buildings with water.
“This was particularly disruptive in the area where cargoes were discharged,” he recalls. “The ‘jetty’ was formed of barrels filled with cement. Delivering cargoes was complicated by the shallow waters in the immediate vicinity of the town which prevented cargo vessels approaching the jetty.
“For the greater part, the dwellings were of the ‘barasti’ style using palm fronds on wooden frames. Some houses were made of coral and mud. While the traditional business of pearl fishing had long passed, the craft of boat building and maintenance remained strong.”
Travelling to the mainland meant crossing the causeway he photographed and navigating a “treacherous” expanse of wet sabkha beyond that had often trapped camels in the mud.
The photographs Mr Horan shot during this time in Abu Dhabi are truly remarkable. Many were taken on a Zeiss Contessa camera that he bought in the Kuwait souq and then developed on Kodachrome slides injecting them with vibrancy and colour. They show a traditional way of life but also many pointed to the changes that were coming.
One shows young falconers gazing proudly into the camera, another shows a family of young women and girls outside their traditional barasti home, while another playful shot shows children playing with balloons outside the ADMA house.
One striking aerial photograph shows the causeway from where Mr Horan took the photograph of the camel train but beyond is an untouched world of creeks, inlets, channels, sea and sand. Another aerial shot of what is now the Corniche shows a practically untouched expanse of sand all the way down to Saadiyat Island.
Visits to Al Ain and its mountain spring water
Abu Dhabi was then ruled by Sheikh Shakhbout who Mr Horan describes as “gracious, supportive and kind”. During the summer, when Sheikh Shakhbout spent time in the drier climate of Al Ain away from the Abu Dhabi humid summer, Mr Horan would often visit him there as part of his duties with ADMA. Today, the journey is around 90 minutes by car on a new motorway, but then it involved an overnight camp amid rolling sand dunes.
“These night stops were exceptional occasions as there was complete silence and no light pollution. Unique,” said Mr Horan.
“In the morning, we proceeded to Al Ain where I met with Sheikh Shakhbout. Al Ain offered delights of clear water in the falajes – even a cool pool belonging to a local dignitary.
“Al Ain had extensive walled palm groves, fed by the falaj water. Water was always precious and the falaj water was of high quality and drinkable at the point of discharge from the mountains,” said Mr Horan.
“In Abu Dhabi, only very brackish water was available from local wells. So, water was imported from Dubai, in steel tanks aboard dhows. Even this water was not very potable, merely an improvement on the brackish water available locally.”
Dubai Creek and a trip to Liwa
Mr Horan also travelled across the country from Dubai to the Liwa oasis. An image taken in Dubai Creek shows abras, an intriguing selection of adverts for goods such as 7-up and various cigarette manufacturers, along with an impressive range of cars including Land Rovers. The Land Rover was a popular choice, particularly those trips to Liwa.
Mr Horan took several striking images of Liwa that showing its oases and vast desert. One in particular, of Mr Horan’s wife, Jean, walking through a date palm grove conveys the sheer vastness of the desert
“Liwa Oasis was accessible only by Land Rover and expert driving over dunes,” he said.
“Liwa was remarkable for its isolation from the rest of … Abu Dhabi. The residents were very hospitable.”
Crucial phase in country's history
Mr Horan left Abu Dhabi in 1962, the same year the first shipments of oil left for international markets. He returned for a second time in the 1970s as general manager of ADMA-OPCO before leaving in the early 1980s.
Mr Horan had an important role in the early development of Abu Dhabi’s oil industry. He returned as a guest for the 25th anniversary of the first export of oil and he was awarded an OBE for services to British commercial interests in Abu Dhabi.
Now he has donated his remarkable collection of more than 200 photographs from his time here to the UAE’s National Library and Archives.
They have been restored carefully, are safeguarded for future generations and can be viewed online on the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive. They are a truly special visual record of a crucial phase in Abu Dhabi’s history.
"I am honoured that my slides showing some aspects of those early days are now in the National Library and Archives," said Mr Horan.
"The periods spent in Abu Dhabi ... were essential parts of my career. I have very fond memories of my time serving Abu Dhabi."
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif (Al Jazira), Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah), Mahmoud Khamis (Al Nasr), Yousef Jaber (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalifa Al Hammadi (Jazira), Salem Rashid (Jazira), Shaheen Abdelrahman (Sharjah), Faris Juma (Al Wahda), Mohammed Shaker (Al Ain), Mohammed Barghash (Wahda), Abdulaziz Haikal (Shabab Al Ahli), Ahmed Barman (Al Ain), Khamis Esmail (Wahda), Khaled Bawazir (Sharjah), Majed Surour (Sharjah), Abdullah Ramadan (Jazira), Mohammed Al Attas (Jazira), Fabio De Lima (Al Wasl), Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Khalfan Mubarak (Jazira), Habib Fardan (Nasr), Khalil Ibrahim (Wahda), Ali Mabkhout (Jazira), Ali Saleh (Wasl), Caio (Al Ain), Sebastian Tagliabue (Nasr).
Review: Tomb Raider
Dir: Roar Uthaug
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Daniel Wu, Walter Goggins
two stars
Company%20profile%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EElggo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20August%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Luma%20Makari%20and%20Mirna%20Mneimneh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Education%20technology%20%2F%20health%20technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESize%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Four%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Name: Timothy Husband
Nationality: New Zealand
Education: Degree in zoology at The University of Sydney
Favourite book: Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell A Mittermeier
Favourite music: Billy Joel
Weekends and holidays: Talking about animals or visiting his farm in Australia
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Recycle Reuse Repurpose
New central waste facility on site at expo Dubai South area to handle estimated 173 tonne of waste generated daily by millions of visitors
Recyclables such as plastic, paper, glass will be collected from bins on the expo site and taken to the new expo Central Waste Facility on site
Organic waste will be processed at the new onsite Central Waste Facility, treated and converted into compost to be re-used to green the expo area
Of 173 tonnes of waste daily, an estimated 39 per cent will be recyclables, 48 per cent organic waste and 13 per cent general waste.
About 147 tonnes will be recycled and converted to new products at another existing facility in Ras Al Khor
Recycling at Ras Al Khor unit:
Plastic items to be converted to plastic bags and recycled
Paper pulp moulded products such as cup carriers, egg trays, seed pots, and food packaging trays
Glass waste into bowls, lights, candle holders, serving trays and coasters
Aim is for 85 per cent of waste from the site to be diverted from landfill
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX INFO
Schedule (All times UAE)
First practice: Friday, 5-6.30am
Second practice: Friday, 9-10.30am
Third practice: Saturday, 7-8am
Qualifying: Saturday, 10-11am
Race: Sunday, 9am-midday
Race venue: Suzuka International Racing Course
Circuit Length: 5.807km
Number of Laps: 53
Watch live: beIN Sports HD
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
The Uefa Awards winners
Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League
Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
