It is 38 years since British prime minister Margaret Thatcher made her first visit to the UAE, then a young nation celebrating its tenth anniversary.
The details of the historic 1981 visit can be found among the quarter of a million documents in the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive, now online.
They offer a fascinating snapshot of a young nation at the start of its journey from sleepy backwater to bustling cosmopolitan hub, a meeting place for world leaders, scientists and captains of industry.
In 1981, Mrs Thatcher’s golf-loving husband Denis had to make do with a nine-hole sand course.
It is something of an understatement to note that since then the UAE has successfully transformed itself into a destination to which the whole world is drawn. The only golfer playing on sand here today is the one who has strayed into a bunker on one of the world-class courses.
Today, with the best hotels, business facilities and leisure opportunities, the UAE is a key destination, not just for tourists but for the organisers of every kind of business and political conference, from this year’s World Government Summit, a forum attended by global leaders and dedicated to shaping the future of governments, to the UN’s Abu Dhabi Climate Meeting, at which world governments convened to discuss the defining issue of our time.
In the coming winter months, as in every year, the UAE will play host to thousands of delegates attending a cavalcade of top-level conferences. None will be here just for the golf.
The UAE’s attraction is not just about the first-class facilities, the reliable weather or even the unrivalled network of international air connections.
The country has deliberately and successfully established itself as a champion of tomorrow, a beacon of modern, open thinking and home to a can-do spirit of innovation to which the likeminded of the world are naturally drawn.
For the thousands who flock here each year to map out the future, to say nothing of the 25 million expected to flood in for Expo 2020, the UAE is among the best environment in which to envisage tomorrow’s world.
The years Ramadan fell in May
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Soldier F
“I was in complete disgust at the fact that only one person was to be charged for Bloody Sunday.
“Somebody later said to me, 'you just watch - they'll drop the charge against him'. And sure enough, the charges against Soldier F would go on to be dropped.
“It's pretty hard to think that 50 years on, the State is still covering up for what happened on Bloody Sunday.”
Jimmy Duddy, nephew of John Johnson
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
