The National recently provided readers with a peek into the past via the showcasing of a collection of photographs taken by oil engineer Alan Horan, who worked in Abu Dhabi 60 years ago, and took pictures of falconers, camel trains and urban dwellings from a period before rapid change and development.
The images provoke a mix of joy, wonder and curiosity at their representation of life as it used to be and have been donated to the National Library and Archives for long-term preservation.
Outside such a formal setting, it is not hard to find heritage-focused social media groups posting content about the country’s past, if you ever need a history fix. Each of these groups plays its part in piecing together the informal narrative of the city, albeit almost always bathed in nostalgia and similar wonder at the pace of progress and change.
But what about our living history?
Abu Dhabi Streets on Instagram (@abudhabistreets), is one such account, describing itself as showcasing “little discoveries” in the city. It presents images of the small details of the city’s streets and the often unheralded parts of its urban architecture.
It is often firmly set on the low-rise charm of suburbia – the dwellings that people sweep past each day often without looking at them – rather than the high-rise glass towers of newer parts of the city.
The account, which has a growing audience, is run by Silvia and Alex, European expatriates who have lived in Abu Dhabi for close to a decade. Generally, Alex takes the pictures, mostly on an iPhone, and Silvia works on curation and art direction, but they also switch roles.
They called themselves a creative family when I spoke to them this week via videoconferencing call.
Some of these neighbourhoods also exist within the near constant dialogue between preservation and progress
Perhaps appropriately, given that our conversation touched on old and new architecture, they were sat in a cafe in an older area of the city that has transformed over the past few years and I was on Yas Island, which only opened a decade and a half ago.
Alex says that one way to describe the work they do is “creative documenting” rather than “documenting” of the specific architecture of Abu Dhabi. Their Instagram account is essentially a visual expression rather than a formal documented resource.
The pair did not want to share too many further details about themselves, preferring instead to let their Instagram account provide most of the representation. Some of their reticence may also be rooted in sensitivity for the urban environment and in feeling a responsibility to protect the places they photograph.
Abu Dhabi Streets never shares exact locations for the buildings they feature, in part to avoid these dwellings ever becoming some form of influencer attraction and in recognition of their residential setting. Some places, of course, are easy to find, such as the recently posted pictures of the Corniche hospital, one of dozens of buildings in Abu Dhabi that have been listed as representing outstanding pieces of modern heritage, or the Etisalat building near the National Theatre featured above, which visitors to that neighbourhood can chance upon without too much effort.
Other posts, such as ethereal video of a bougainvillea swaying in the spring breeze after one of this year’s storms, defy regular locators, unless you are familiar with that neighbourhood already.
Most of their focus appears to rest in capturing the previously uncaptured and unnoticed.
The images emit a natural and informal energy that encourages the consumer to go out and look at the city in a different way and find those pockets of wonder for themselves.
Silvia and Alex say that the project was born from that ethos, from “roaming around” neighbourhoods and “discovering all these beautiful low-rise buildings and old houses”.
“We walk, especially in the cooler months, wherever it takes us.”
Some of these neighbourhoods also exist within the near constant dialogue between preservation and progress.
The once sprawling on-island campus of the International School of Choueifat, for instance, which had been a fixture of a Mushrif neighbourhood since the 1970s, stood empty at the start of academic year and has since been demolished. The empty plot is now a sandy expanse awaiting its future. The site is only a short distance from the Abu Dhabi Media campus, a building which is on the preserved modern heritage list.
In another street not far from the former school plot, an old 1980s villa was demolished this month. One of Abu Dhabi Streets recent stories captured a still of the villa demolition works.
There is both loss and gain in this process: a residential building torn down at the end of its useful life and a plot freed up to be reborn. Cities are living organisms, moving relentlessly onward.
“There is,” they say, “something special about the neighbourhoods”.
That’s true. They emanate a form of quiet beauty. So too does the Instagram account that seeks to capture them.
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
More coverage from the Future Forum
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
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Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
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
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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
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Defending champions
World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
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
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The biog
Name: Atheja Ali Busaibah
Date of birth: 15 November, 1951
Favourite books: Ihsan Abdel Quddous books, such as “The Sun will Never Set”
Hobbies: Reading and writing poetry
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
BRIEF SCORES:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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Match info
Huddersfield Town 0
Chelsea 3
Kante (34'), Jorginho (45' pen), Pedro (80')
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