A home-made film showing Abu Dhabi's Corniche in 1993 is making many past and present residents of the city smile.
The footage was posted to a popular social media group called "Abu Dhabi – The Good Old Days" – and it has generated a warm-hearted and nostalgia-filled conversation about life in the city back then.
The video was shot by Michael Oakes and it shows a much quieter Corniche and many fondly-remembered landmarks, including some that have vanished from the city’s skyline.
Mr Oakes, who is from the UK, shot the footage when he was a teenager, using a Panasonic video recorder while a passenger in his father's car with a visiting friend in the back. They travel along the old Corniche road on an early August afternoon that year.
Large trees sway in the central median and far fewer cars pass down the road than do today. Along the route can be seen landmarks such as the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce building; the Clock Tower; Hilton Abu Dhabi (now Radisson Blu); and the old headquarters of Adnoc.
“As a kid it felt pretty developed then,” said Mr Oakes, who lived in Abu Dhabi with his parents from 1978 to 1991 and then returned most years for summer holidays. “Abu Dhabi was modernising. It had a slower [and] conservative ... growth strategy. It was totally different to Dubai.”
The footage shows the glass-fronted office building that is now home to the Corniche branch of Union National Bank. When it was built, it was one of the UAE capital’s most distinctive landmarks and a sign of the city's growing internationalism. Construction of the Baynunah Tower can be seen beside it.
The car then turns left around the Intercontinental hotel roundabout and the film shows a glimpse of the old Adnoc residential buildings. The famed white-and-gold Abu Dhabi taxis also make an appearance.
The Abu Dhabi of 1993 was a smaller city. Islands such as Saadiyat and Yas had yet to be developed, Khalifa City was not the suburb we know today and life was very much centred on the island. Mr Oakes said social life revolved around four hotels: Le Meridien; Hilton Abu Dhabi; Sheraton Abu Dhabi and the Intercontinental. The Tourist Club, a long demolished entertainment centre beside Le Meridien, was also open, which Mr Oakes described as similar to British seaside holiday camps such as Butlins.
The video also speaks of a time when analogue was king. This was an era before the widespread use of the internet and no one had smart phones. Videos had to be shot on a clunky hand-held camera and then hope the tape didn’t get damaged. Mr Oakes remembers people bringing over taped versions of British TV staples such as Top of the Pops , which were then watched in Abu Dhabi weeks after they were broadcast.
For Mr Oakes, the reaction to the video on social media has been heart warming. “I love it. What really strikes me is that we are a much bigger community than we thought," he said, referring to the numbers of expatriates who lived and worked in Abu Dhabi over the years. "I just didn’t realise there were so many of us.”
Thirty years on, some of the buildings, such as the Union National Bank and Chamber of Commerce, look practically the same. But the skyline is full of glittering new towers and the Corniche has changed beyond all recognition. A major land reclamation project a few years after the video was shot pushed the Corniche farther out, led to the construction of a new road and added pristine new beaches. Some of the landmarks, such as the Clock Tower, were demolished to make way for the project.
The video has also generated lively debate between different generations of residents who feel their time was the best. Some feel the 1970s trumped them all, others the 1980s, while some believe the “good old days” were gone by the time Mr Oakes shot the video. “A lot of people look back with such fond nostalgia but there is a competitiveness with people who were there,” Mr Oakes said with a chuckle. “People of the 1960s and 1970s say the old days were gone by the 1990s,” he said.
“But I love the feeling of community. Abu Dhabi really had that.”
Abu Dhabi Corniche through the years - in pictures
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What is the Supreme Petroleum Council?
The Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council was established in 1988 and is the highest governing body in Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry. The council formulates, oversees and executes the emirate’s petroleum-related policies. It also approves the allocation of capital spending across state-owned Adnoc’s upstream, downstream and midstream operations and functions as the company’s board of directors. The SPC’s mandate is also required for auctioning oil and gas concessions in Abu Dhabi and for awarding blocks to international oil companies. The council is chaired by Sheikh Khalifa, the President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi while Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is the vice chairman.
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.
She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.
Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring the natural world.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tottenham 0-1 Ajax, Tuesday
Second leg
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Game is on BeIN Sports
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
THE BIO
Age: 30
Favourite book: The Power of Habit
Favourite quote: "The world is full of good people, if you cannot find one, be one"
Favourite exercise: The snatch
Favourite colour: Blue
