Today, life in the Emirates moves in the fast lane. In a regular series to mark the 50th anniversary of the UAE, we take a trip back in time to see how much the country has changed.
In the late 1970s, when the older of these two photographs was taken, a curious structure began to rise in the area of Abu Dhabi once known as Tourist Club.
Le Meridien hotel was the first building in the city constructed around a steel frame and went ahead despite objections from local cement manufacturers.
It was part of a brand established by Air France in 1972, with a deal signed by Abu National Hotels three years later, when the Hilton was still the only international hotel brand in town.
Le Meridien hotel was inaugurated by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II on her state visit to the UAE in 1979, with the first guests arriving a few weeks later.
As the tower blocks in the background of the current photo show, the area has changed beyond recognition in the past 42 years.
Le Meridien was once flanked by Tourist Club, a district of the city that was renamed Al Zahiyah in 2014.
Tourist Club was the city’s original entertainment district, created as a family-friendly zone overlooking the site of an annual sailing race regularly attended by Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father.
From a two-storey circular structure it expanded to become a complex that including a bowling alley, skating rink and a place to play the first video games, Electra Electronic Games, which opened around 1980.
As the city expanded, so did opportunities for leisure, and the Tourist Club name became more of a curiosity to baffle newcomers, especially after the original complex was knocked down as part of a major redevelopment of Abu Dhabi, of which the 2004 demolition of the Volcano Fountain was also part.
Many of the older buildings in Al Zahiyah are disappearing, unfit for use after so many years.
Le Meridien, though, is a survivor. Over the years it has hosted guests from all over the world, including Abdou Diouf, the former president of Senegal, Prince Albert of Belgium, the leaders of Tunisia and Morocco and the French singer Sacha Distel.
The hotel had a narrow escape in 2010 when it was scheduled for demolition to make way for a new bridge to Al Maryah Island, only to be saved by a deal between the owners and Abu Dhabi Municipality.
It has since undergone a complete refurbishment and is now managed by the Marriott group. Along with the Lebanon Fountain outside, also recently restored, it retains a link to Abu Dhabi’s past and many fond memories of good times gone by.
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Moonfall
Director: Rolan Emmerich
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry
Rating: 3/5
The%20team
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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
FIGHT%20CARD
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Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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WHY%20AAYAN%20IS%20'PERFECT%20EXAMPLE'
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'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
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What to watch out for:
Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof
The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history
Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure
Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used
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What you as a drone operator need to know
A permit and licence is required to fly a drone legally in Dubai.
Sanad Academy is the United Arab Emirate’s first RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) training and certification specialists endorsed by the Dubai Civil Aviation authority.
It is responsible to train, test and certify drone operators and drones in UAE with DCAA Endorsement.
“We are teaching people how to fly in accordance with the laws of the UAE,” said Ahmad Al Hamadi, a trainer at Sanad.
“We can show how the aircraft work and how they are operated. They are relatively easy to use, but they need responsible pilots.
“Pilots have to be mature. They are given a map of where they can and can’t fly in the UAE and we make these points clear in the lectures we give.
“You cannot fly a drone without registration under any circumstances.”
Larger drones are harder to fly, and have a different response to location control. There are no brakes in the air, so the larger drones have more power.
The Sanad Academy has a designated area to fly off the Al Ain Road near Skydive Dubai to show pilots how to fly responsibly.
“As UAS technology becomes mainstream, it is important to build wider awareness on how to integrate it into commerce and our personal lives,” said Major General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief, Dubai Police.
“Operators must undergo proper training and certification to ensure safety and compliance.
“Dubai’s airspace will undoubtedly experience increased traffic as UAS innovations become commonplace, the Forum allows commercial users to learn of best practice applications to implement UAS safely and legally, while benefitting a whole range of industries.”
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Finn Balor defeated Andrade to stay WWE Intercontinental Championship
Shane McMahon defeated Roman Reigns
Lars Sullivan won by disqualification against Lucha House Party
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The Undertaker beat Goldberg
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Indian origin executives leading top technology firms
Sundar Pichai
Chief executive, Google and Alphabet
Satya Nadella
Chief executive, Microsoft
Ajaypal Singh Banga
President and chief executive, Mastercard
Shantanu Narayen
Chief executive, chairman, and president, Adobe
Indra Nooyi
Board of directors, Amazon and former chief executive, PepsiCo
Dr Graham's three goals
Short term
Establish logistics and systems needed to globally deploy vaccines
Intermediate term
Build biomedical workforces in low- and middle-income nations
Long term
A prototype pathogen approach for pandemic preparedness
Company%20profile
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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
