They had tracked the dhabi across a narrow band of salt water to a maqta, or crossing point, where the sea was shallow enough for men and camels to wade.
Now the herd was almost at the end of the large sand island that lay off the coast. As the hunters watched, the gazelle halted, dipped their heads and drank from a pool of sweet, clean water.
Two centuries and 50 years have passed since Bedouin tribesmen brought the news to their chief of the discovery of a place they would soon call Abu Dhabi, the father of the gazelle. Today a great city stands around the ancient watchtower that the sheikh ordered to guard that most precious of resources in the 1760s.
This weekend sees the start of celebrations to mark what is probably - for the calculations cannot be exact - the 250th anniversary of Qasr Al Hosn, the fortified palace.
In its heyday, Al Hosn dominated the landscape, both literally and as a symbol of the power and authority of the rulers. These days it is something else; a time machine that connects us to centuries of history in a place where everything seems focused on the present or the future.
This is the fourth publication from The National's History Project, but the first to tell the story of a people through a single, iconic building; the first photograph of which, taken in 1901, appears above. In the pages that follow, Qasr Al Hosn emerges from a lone watchtower to the palace that now sits surrounded by towers of glass and steel.
The story we tell is also of those who called the palace home, who worked there or who arrived as travellers from distant lands, to record what they had seen. Uniquely, those voices include several sheikhas from the Al Nahyan family, including Sheikha Osha bint Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who gives us a guided tour of her former home, as well as accounts from Sheikha Mahra bint Khalid bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikha Sabha bint Mohammed Al Khaili, who relive many happy years in Qasr Al Hosn, with the help of Sheikha Osha's granddaughter, Sheikha Osha bint Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan.
For ordinary people, the fortifed palace was also a place to bring your troubles or seek justice. It was home to the magnificent Arabian horses of the royal stables and a place of culture and learning from the court poets to the early days of the National Centre for Documentation and Research, which first found a home there after the fort ceased to be a royal residence in the 1960s.
The Qasr Al Hosn Festival, which runs from February 28 to March 9, is a long-overdue celebration of the city's oldest structure, and a chance for the fort to emerge from behind its hoardings, as complex and long-awaited decisions are made about how to revive a building made for one age, but with so many lessons for another.
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
Suggested picnic spots
Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Fight Night
FIGHT NIGHT
Four title fights:
Amir Khan v Billy Dib - WBC International title
Hughie Fury v Samuel Peter - Heavyweight co-main event
Dave Penalosa v Lerato Dlamini - WBC Silver title
Prince Patel v Michell Banquiz - IBO World title
Six undercard bouts:
Michael Hennessy Jr v Abdul Julaidan Fatah
Amandeep Singh v Shakhobidin Zoirov
Zuhayr Al Qahtani v Farhad Hazratzada
Lolito Sonsona v Isack Junior
Rodrigo Caraballo v Sajid Abid
Ali Kiydin v Hemi Ahio
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
Company%C2%A0profile
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
MATCH INFO
Uefa Nations League
League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)
The specs: Aston Martin DB11 V8 vs Ferrari GTC4Lusso T
Price, base: Dh840,000; Dh120,000
Engine: 4.0L V8 twin-turbo; 3.9L V8 turbo
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic; seven-speed automatic
Power: 509hp @ 6,000rpm; 601hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 695Nm @ 2,000rpm; 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.9L / 100km; 11.6L / 100km
Episode list:
Ep1: A recovery like no other- the unevenness of the economic recovery
Ep2: PCR and jobs - the future of work - new trends and challenges
Ep3: The recovery and global trade disruptions - globalisation post-pandemic
Ep4: Inflation- services and goods - debt risks
Ep5: Travel and tourism
