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Peter Hellyer

Peter Hellyer

Contributor
Peter Hellyer came to Abu Dhabi as a filmmaker in 1975, and has been an author and journalist for more than half a century. UK-born and now a UAE citizen, he has a special interest in the history, environment and heritage of the Emirates, with a sideline in the country’s political and social development. His preferred forms of relaxation include reading and birdwatching.
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Articles

Non-native plant species have become a staple of English gardens. Alamy
Help! My garden is not 'woke' enough

'Gardening colonialism' is now a thing, and it's exhausting

CommentNovember 04, 2021
Peter Hellyer
The Buhais Geology Park Interpretive Centre in Sharjah opened last year. Picture courtesy of Hopkins Architects
Seeing the Emirates through the eyes of a first-time visitor

From the modernity on display at Expo 2020 Dubai to the mountains outside Dubai, the UAE has plenty of diverse sights

CommentOctober 20, 2021
Peter Hellyer
Next year's Year of Zayed will mark 100 years since the birth of the late UAE Founding Father Sheikh Zayed. Courtesy Al Ittihad
Sheikh Zayed would have been proud of the UAE today

The people of the Emirates have passed through their 'adolescence' to take the country forward

CommentOctober 07, 2021
Peter Hellyer
Analysts estimate that Expo 2020 will bring $8 billion in investment to the UAE. Above, the future site of the world fair in Dubai. Sarah Dea / The National
Expo 2020 Dubai will be a treat for the imagination

It's bound to be a stunning event that will reward the millions of visitors

OpinionSeptember 23, 2021
Peter Hellyer
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation at the graduation ceremony of the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, class of 2015, in Abu Dhabi
In 50 years, the UAE has come so far because of one key thing

The early investment in education has paid off across industries in the Emirates

CommentSeptember 09, 2021
Peter Hellyer
An Afghan cloth merchant in Dubai gets updates on the situation in Kabul, on August 18. AFP
Why 'foreign news' matters to UAE folks

Given the diverse population, there will always be crises abroad that are of relevance to people in the UAE

CommentAugust 26, 2021
Peter Hellyer
Asian Houbara bred in Abu Dhabi by the International Fund for Houbara Conservation are released in Lal Sohanra National Park in near Bahawal Pur, Pakistan in 2015.
The need to control the introduction of alien species

They can damage both the environment and the native plants and animals that live within it

CommentAugust 17, 2021
Peter Hellyer
The book on a friendly ghaf tree who tells the stories of the desert and its creatures
We need more books in Arabic by local authors

The country offers great opportunities for people of different ethnicities who live here to learn about each other

CommentJuly 29, 2021
Peter Hellyer
A lifeguard by the wave pool at Yas WaterWorld in Abu Dhabi. Razan Alzayani for The National
The bright side of not travelling during a pandemic

The Emirates have been clear about Covid-19 guidance

CommentJuly 15, 2021
Peter Hellyer
Volunteers engaging in the UAE's National Disinfection Programme showed a high spirit of national responsibility, community cohesion and solidarity in supporting the nation's efforts to combat the spread of Covid-19. Wam
We should all be 'lab rats' for a higher purpose

My role in a course for resident doctors tells me volunteerism should be encouraged across fields

CommentJuly 01, 2021
Peter Hellyer
Women walk past the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, June 11. Reuters
UAE companies wanting new talent should first look for it at home

Recruiting from overseas is important, but there are many UAE residents ready to take jobs

CommentJune 15, 2021
Peter Hellyer
People walk past a giant dictionary installed as an initiative by publishing house Zanichelli to save unused words in Italian, on October 02, 2019 in Turin, Italy. Getty
Keep it simple – jargon is never a good idea

The simpler the language, the more easily it is understood

CommentJune 02, 2021
Peter Hellyer
Prince Harry has spoken out about his mental health in a new Apple TV+ documentary 'The Me You Can't See'. AFP
We must come together to fight Covid stress

During mental health month, let's consider what people go through everyday

CommentMay 23, 2021
Peter Hellyer
The device, nicknamed ‘Digidog’, became a source of heated debate, with some critics, according to the story in the New York Times, likening it to “a dystopian surveillance drone”. Courtesy: Twitter
Does wondering about the ethics of AI make me a Luddite?

Then so be it

CommentMay 09, 2021
Peter Hellyer
Jersey - charming Channel isle or geopolitical flashpoint? AFP
How my little island became a battleground between Britain and France

Jersey people are amazed that a local fishing dispute has taken on continental significance

CommentMay 07, 2021
Peter Hellyer
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