Live updates: follow the latest news on UAE National Day 2021
It was the summer of 1971 and plans were being made to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed’s accession as Ruler of Abu Dhabi.
The Founding Father, though, had other ideas. As the messages of congratulations flooded in from, among others, Queen Elizabeth II and the government of Japan, he announced a postponement of celebrations until later in the year.
There were more pressing matters in hand with a deadline by the end of December to bring together the seven emirates as one independent country.
There is a decisive matter that relates to our very existence and our political future ... and that is the establishment of a union
Sheikh Zayed,
the Founding Father
“There is something more important,” Sheikh Zayed explained on August 6, the anniversary date. “There is a decisive matter that relates to our very existence and our political future.
“And that is the establishment of a union, which compels us all to give it all the effort and hard work we can to fulfil the will of the people in this region.”
By Ramadan, which began in late September that year, negotiations to create the UAE were almost complete. A meeting that ended on November 25 fixed the date of union for December 2.
At the same time, newspapers were able to announce that fifth anniversary celebrations would take place the following week. The equivalent of Dh434,000 had been set aside for the three-day event.
The remarkable colour photographs here that record the fifth anniversary were taken by Bruno Barbey, a Moroccan-born French photographer on assignment in Abu Dhabi for the formation of the UAE.
Barbey, who died last year aged 79, gained remarkable access to events like a celebration banquet for Sheikh Zayed, but also everyday scenes as ordinary people celebrated the anniversary.
They show a parade along the Corniche, horse and camel races and the happiness of the occasion, expressed in one photograph of a smiling young boy with a huge Abu Dhabi flag attached to his bicycle.
The details of the anniversary were also recorded by Al Ittihad, the country’s Arabic-language newspaper, then barely a year old. Celebrations included two concerts by Umm Kulthum, the most famous singer in the Arab world.
First came a parade along the Corniche beginning at 10am on Sunday, November 28, watched by Sheikh Zayed, described by Al Ittihad in the convention of the time as “His Greatness the State Ruler,” and accompanied by members of his family, including the current President Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince.
The procession featured soldiers and equipment from the Abu Dhabi Defence Force and a marching band with bagpipes led by Col Bart Bartholomew, a British officer formerly of the Trucial Oman Scouts.
Sheikh Zayed next went to Al Manhal Palace, the Ruler’s official residence, in which, according to Al Ittihad, he would “receive guests, delegations and UAE citizens, and will attend a ceremony where songs will be performed and poems will be chanted in his honour”.
A Barbey photograph shows one of those poets reading a Nabiti verse, a Gulf Arab Bedouin style of vernacular poetry that goes back at least 800 years.
A lunch banquet followed, after which Sheikh Zayed, accompanied by Sheikh Rashid, the Ruler of Dubai, went for an afternoon of horse racing, with a firework display and music from an army band outside Al Manhal Palace.
The evening ended late, with Sheikh Zayed attending the first Umm Kulthum concert which began at 10.30pm.
The second day began early, with Sheikh Zayed heading out at 8am for a series of ceremonies for projects central to transforming Abu Dhabi into modern Arab city.
First was the inauguration of the breakwater, designed to protect the city from flooding, and which today has been expanded to include Marina Mall and Lulu Island.
By early afternoon, Sheikh Zayed had held ceremonies for an inner road, the new Hilton Hotel (today the Radisson Blu), laid foundation stones for Abu Dhabi Media TV studios and a police college, and inaugurated a training centre.
Later that day, he was able to take a break for camel racing before hosting an evening banquet and briefly attending another music concert before visiting an art festival organised by the Ministry of Information and Tourism.
In between, he also inaugurated what would become the first motorway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, now the E11. He also visited schools and public housing projects, and dropped in at the Indian Social and Cultural Centre.
The celebrations finished on December 30, with the second Umm Kulthum concert and an official reception for the singer at Al Manhal Palace.
Late that evening, Iranian forces would invade and take control of Abu Musa Island and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs. After three days of celebrations, it was a reminder of the challenges to come.
Racecard
5pm: Al Maha Stables – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: The President’s Cup – Group 1 (PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: The President’s Cup – Listed (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,400m
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
NEW ARRIVALS
Benjamin Mendy (Monaco) - £51.75m (Dh247.94m)
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur) - £45.9m
Bernardo Silva (Monaco) - £45m
Ederson Moraes (Benfica) - £36m
Danilo (Real Madrid) - £27m
Douglas Luiz (Vasco de Gama) - £10.8m
GRAN%20TURISMO
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ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon
Women%E2%80%99s%20Asia%20Cup
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Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Schedule for Asia Cup
Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)
Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)
Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four
Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)
Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 28: Final (Dubai)
'Champions'
Director: Manuel Calvo
Stars: Yassir Al Saggaf and Fatima Al Banawi
Rating: 2/5
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
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Terminator: Dark Fate
Director: Tim Miller
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Mackenzie Davis
Rating: 3/5
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Generational responses to the pandemic
Devesh Mamtani from Century Financial believes the cash-hoarding tendency of each generation is influenced by what stage of the employment cycle they are in. He offers the following insights:
Baby boomers (those born before 1964): Owing to market uncertainty and the need to survive amid competition, many in this generation are looking for options to hoard more cash and increase their overall savings/investments towards risk-free assets.
Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980): Gen X is currently in its prime working years. With their personal and family finances taking a hit, Generation X is looking at multiple options, including taking out short-term loan facilities with competitive interest rates instead of dipping into their savings account.
Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996): This market situation is giving them a valuable lesson about investing early. Many millennials who had previously not saved or invested are looking to start doing so now.
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