DUBAI // The Dubai of today may look nothing like it did 30 years ago, but its accelerated development is inspiring a renewed interest in the city's architectural heritage - a vital component of a strong civic identity in the future.
"I'm concerned about keeping the history of this city for future generations," says Rashad Bukhash, the director of the architectural heritage department at Dubai Municipality and chairman of the Architectural Heritage Society.
His office, in the Bastekiya area, is in one of the oldest buildings in the city. Built from 1925 to 1930, the two-storey structure was originally a private home with all its rooms and windows looking into a central courtyard - a typical architectural element in a society in which the most important requirement in a home was that it provided privacy, especially for women.
The building stands between Deira on one side and Dubai Creek on the other. Across the creek, skyscrapers occupied by HSBC, Rolex and property firms line the shore. Dhows glide through the water while aircraft begin their descent into Dubai International Airport.
The juxtaposition of old and new is not lost on Mr Bukhash, who says that the city's ambitious modernisation has played a role in adding a sense of urgency to the need to conserve architectural heritage. For many of Dubai's older buildings, the recognition of their worth has come too late.
"After production of oil started, lots of projects came," he says. They created an immediate need for basic infrastructure and housing resulting in "lots of old buildings being demolished".
Some of the first restoration projects began in the early 1980s and, says Mr Bukhash, the ethos behind heritage conservation since has changed. The priority now is to explain to the public what buildings are important and why and how the architectural elements that make them unique can be integrated into modern construction.
Over the past 18 years, 140 buildings in Dubai have been restored. It was an impressive effort, but they amount to less than one per cent of the built landscape. Mr Bukhash would like to do more in the next few years.
The municipality's heritage department is responsible for all restoration projects, though Mr Bukhash says a private company is to be schooled in the architectural and structural elements of traditional Emirati buildings so it can help. The department is also working to find out how much students from grade schools to universities know about heritage buildings, so it can tailor education programmes.
International conferences held every two years in Dubai - the next is in 2010 - focus on traditional national architecture. The heritage department also publishes books for the public as well as for architects and historians, which Mr Bukhash says have begun to inspire design in the Gulf. Madinat Jumeirah, for example, is a modern building modelled on a traditional Emirati villa.
Although examples of architecture from the boom years are important in telling the story of the emirates, truly old buildings are few and far between. The oldest in Dubai is Al Fahidi Fort, built in 1799. From 1896 it was the home of Sheikh Maktoum bin Hasher al Maktoum and now is the Dubai Museum. The architectural style of the building dates back 3,000 years. The complex is larger than the average family home would have been at that time, but the same materials were used in its construction - shellstone, coral stone, mortar and gypsum for the walls and palm-tree trunks for the roof. In the early 20th century, Dubai began importing chandal wood from Zanzibar and more solid roofs were built.
The fort had typical defensive features. It was surrounded by a high, solid wall in which three types of openings allowed defenders to see and strike back at attackers.
"The architecture of the fort is like most in the region, like Bahrain, Qatar," says Mr Bukhash. "The small holes were for looking out of, the thin rectangular holes were for shooting arrows out of - that was mostly in the 18th and 19th centuries - and the big holes were for cannons."
The fort was restored in 1994 and the following year an underground extension was built, providing space for exhibits showing scenes of traditional life.
Such defensive buildings are the largest of the heritage structures. The walls of these buildings were made with coral stone and gypsum and stood about four metres high. Other buildings restored by the heritage department include houses and villas, schools, mosques and souqs.
Traditional architecture in the emirate is a function of climate, locally available materials and Islamic values. Heritage residences fall into two categories: palm frond or, for more affluent families, large courtyard houses. Until Dubai became an important port of trade most houses had only one storey, but as more merchants settled along the banks of Dubai Creek, two-storey homes started to appear and neighbourhoods began to emerge. Built close together, the houses were small and separated by narrow alleys or "sikkas". Wind towers and toilets were not added until the 1920s.
The walls of mosques, in which privacy was not an issue, were lined with windows to maximise air circulation. Public buildings, such as schools and post offices, had the simplest designs, with the architecture focused more on function than aesthetics.
Souqs and most other commercial areas were built up around a main alley, covered to afford some protection from sunlight. The doorways of the small shops that lined the alley were often made with large leaves. Larger and grander commercial areas began to employ wind towers during the 1950s. Although intact examples of such neighbourhoods can no longer be found, echoes of the way the street patterns evolved can be found in parts of Deira.
Young people are the primary audience for Mr Bukhash's message about the importance of heritage buildings and the way of life they represent.
"Students from the UAE and outside come here," he says. "We offer them courses in things like gypsum work and cultural awareness. These things are important. If more people know, we will be able to maintain a local taste in the city."
Abu Dhabi is also taking steps to preserve its built heritage, primarily in Al Ain but also in the capital. The historic buildings department at the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (Adach) recently began an emergency conservation programme that has given the government authority to order the restoration of heritage buildings, even if they are privately owned. So far 25 properties have benefited.
Aqil Ahmed Aqil, an architect who works in the historic buildings department at Adach, says recognition of the importance of heritage buildings has some way to go in Abu Dhabi and that conservation efforts have been more widely embraced in Dubai.
"The oases here are part of the urban fabric and part of the identity of Al Ain," he says. Yet "awareness has not caught on in Al Ain among inhabitants".
The preservation of historic buildings "is important for so many reasons, mostly because it contributes to defining an identity for UAE culture".
Mr Aqil says it is important to him that historical evidence of the UAE's social development is around for his children as they grow up.
It is for the same reason that many of Mr Bukhash's education programmes are developed. As much as the new buildings in Dubai are exciting to people living here, it is his hope that the surviving heritage buildings will be able to excite and influence the next generation of builders and designers.
"Preservation needs to be part of government policy, part of a strategic plan," he says. "This is the history of place. If it goes, it's gone and you can't bring it back."
jhume@thenational.ae
Match info
Arsenal 0
Manchester City 2
Sterling (14'), Bernardo Silva (64')
Scorecard:
England 458 & 119/1 (51.0 ov)
South Africa 361
England lead by 216 runs with 9 wickets remaining
Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
England squads for Test and T20 series against New Zealand
Test squad: Joe Root (capt), Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Dominic Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes
T20 squad: Eoin Morgan (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Pat Brown, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Lewis Gregory, Chris Jordan, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Matt Parkinson, Adil Rashid, James Vince
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
BRAZIL SQUAD
Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
RESULTS
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3E6pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Marfa%20Deira%20%E2%80%93%20Conditions%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(Dirt)%201%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wadheha%2C%20Bernardo%20Pinheiro%20(jockey)%2C%20Majed%20Al%20Jahouri%20(trainer)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E6.35pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20Creek%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(TB)%20Dh82%2C500%20(D)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBarq%20Al%20Emarat%2C%20Bernardo%20Pinheiro%2C%20Ismail%20Mohammed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7.10pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMina%20Hamriya%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh95%2C000%20(D)%201%2C600m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tahdeed%2C%20Dane%20O%E2%80%99Neill%2C%20Michael%20Costa%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7.45pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mina%20Rashid%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(TB)%20Dh82%2C500%20(D)%201%2C900m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeyaasi%2C%20Xavier%20Ziani%2C%20Salem%20bin%20Ghadayer%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E8.20pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAl%20Garhoud%20Sprint%20DP%20World%20%E2%80%93%20Listed%20(TB)%20Dh132%2C500%20(D)%201%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mouheeb%2C%20Ray%20Dawson%2C%20Michael%20Costa%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E8.55pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mirdiff%20Stakes%20Jebel%20Ali%20Port%20%E2%80%93%20Conditions%20(TB)%20Dh120%2C000%20(D)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seyouff%2C%20Antonio%20Fresu%2C%20Michael%20Costa%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E9.30pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jebel%20Ali%20Free%20Zone%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh95%2C000%20(D)%202%2C000m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAjuste%20Fiscal%2C%20Jose%20da%20Silva%2C%20Julio%20Olascoaga%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EDate%20started%3A%20January%202022%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Omar%20Abu%20Innab%2C%20Silvia%20Eldawi%2C%20Walid%20Shihabi%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20PropTech%20%2F%20investment%3Cbr%3EEmployees%3A%2040%3Cbr%3EStage%3A%20Seed%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Multiple%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The stats: 2017 Jaguar XJ
Price, base / as tested Dh326,700 / Dh342,700
Engine 3.0L V6
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 340hp @ 6,000pm
Torque 450Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.1L / 100km
MATCH DETAILS
Manchester United 3
Greenwood (21), Martial (33), Rashford (49)
Partizan Belgrade 0
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
The specs: 2018 Ford Mustang GT
Price, base / as tested: Dh204,750 / Dh241,500
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Gearbox: 10-speed automatic
Power: 460hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque: 569Nm @ 4,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.3L / 100km
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.4-inch IPS LCD, 400 nits, toughened glass
CPU: Unisoc T610; Mali G52 GPU
Memory: 4GB
Storage: 64GB, up to 512GB microSD
Camera: 8MP rear, 5MP front
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 3.5mm audio
Battery: 8200mAh, up to 10 hours video
Platform: Android 11
Audio: Stereo speakers, 2 mics
Durability: IP52
Biometrics: Face unlock
Price: Dh849
'Lost in Space'
Creators: Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Irwin Allen
Stars: Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins
Rating: 4/5
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
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
