A Gulf Aviation plane lands at Abu Dhabi's airstrip in the early 1960s. Photo: David Riley
A Gulf Aviation plane lands at Abu Dhabi's airstrip in the early 1960s. Photo: David Riley
A Gulf Aviation plane lands at Abu Dhabi's airstrip in the early 1960s. Photo: David Riley
A Gulf Aviation plane lands at Abu Dhabi's airstrip in the early 1960s. Photo: David Riley

Timeframe: a look back at Abu Dhabi's first airport


John Dennehy
  • English
  • Arabic

Cancelled flights, long queues at airports and lost baggage ― it is turning out to be a stressful summer for some holidaymakers.

It is enough to make one yearn for the simpler, more carefree days of aviation, as this photograph shows.

This was Abu Dhabi’s first airport, in the early 1960s. The facilities consisted of a windsock, fuel drum and a fire extinguisher. A rudimentary “no smoking” sign can be seen on the right.

The photograph was taken by David Riley, a British citizen who lived here then, just as a Gulf Aviation flight, most probably from Bahrain, touched down. Gulf Aviation step ladders in the centre of the photograph were used by passengers to disembark. From there, Land Rovers typically took visitors over sand tracks to the town. Just out of shot is the old terminal building.

“It was early evening as I landed and I can still see the sun low in the sky going down over a view of the soft sand, a few palm trees and the occasional barasti house with the Ruler’s Palace [Qasr Al Hosn] in the distance,” Riley says of his first arrival into Abu Dhabi in 1962.

“Some would say it was very ‘romantic'. I must confess I did wonder where I had come to at the time,” he says.

But Riley, who is now back in the UK, says, "I needn’t have worried as it is one of the most enjoyable places I have lived and worked”.

There was only a small expatriate community in Abu Dhabi then. The Club opened in 1962 and construction of the Beach Hotel, Abu Dhabi’s first, finished the same year. The first shipments of oil also left from the emirate in 1962. Riley recalled a few small shops selling basic supplies ― tinned food, cigarettes, condensed milk and rice ― when he first arrived, but at the time a lot of fresh food was flown in on these daily flights from Bahrain.

“Going to the landing strip in the late afternoon to meet the flight from Bahrain was one of the things one did,” says Riley, who worked for the British Bank of the Middle East, which became part of HSBC.

“It was quite common to meet friends there who were in a similar situation. It was also a good opportunity to see who was coming in.”

Riley previously recalled an incident one night when an injured oil worker was taken from a desert camp to Abu Dhabi at night. Because the air strip was not lit, several people drove to the airfield in their Land Rovers and lit it up using their vehicle headlamps, allowing the pilot to take off for Bahrain where the stricken man received life-saving treatment.

But time has moved on. Gulf Aviation has become Gulf Air, while Abu Dhabi’s airport moved to Al Bateen in the late 1960s before shifting to its current off-island location in January, 1982. More than six decades on, Abu Dhabi airport expects at least 10.7 million passengers to pass through its main airport in 2022, more than double last year’s number as business surges back after the Covid-19 pandemic. A huge new terminal ― Midfield ― is also taking shape.

The original terminal building, meanwhile, still stands today in the grounds of Abu Dhabi Media off Sultan bin Zayed the First and Al Salsabeel Street. It is a gentle reminder of simpler aviation times.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Favourite things

Luxury: Enjoys window shopping for high-end bags and jewellery

Discount: She works in luxury retail, but is careful about spending, waits for sales, festivals and only buys on discount

University: The only person in her family to go to college, Jiang secured a bachelor’s degree in business management in China

Masters: Studying part-time for a master’s degree in international business marketing in Dubai

Vacation: Heads back home to see family in China

Community work: Member of the Chinese Business Women’s Association of the UAE to encourage other women entrepreneurs

Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015

- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed 

Aayan%E2%80%99s%20records
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THE%C2%A0SPECS
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UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

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.

Three trading apps to try

Sharad Nair recommends three investment apps for UAE residents:

  • For beginners or people who want to start investing with limited capital, Mr Nair suggests eToro. “The low fees and low minimum balance requirements make the platform more accessible,” he says. “The user interface is straightforward to understand and operate, while its social element may help ease beginners into the idea of investing money by looking to a virtual community.”
  • If you’re an experienced investor, and have $10,000 or more to invest, consider Saxo Bank. “Saxo Bank offers a more comprehensive trading platform with advanced features and insight for more experienced users. It offers a more personalised approach to opening and operating an account on their platform,” he says.
  • Finally, StashAway could work for those who want a hands-off approach to their investing. “It removes one of the biggest challenges for novice traders: picking the securities in their portfolio,” Mr Nair says. “A goal-based approach or view towards investing can help motivate residents who may usually shy away from investment platforms.”
EGYPT SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Ahmed El Shennawy, Mohamed El Shennawy, Mohamed Abou-Gabal, Mahmoud Abdel Rehem "Genesh"
Defenders: Ahmed Elmohamady, Ahmed Hegazi, Omar Gaber, Ali Gazal, Ayman Ahsraf, Mahmoud Hamdy, Baher Elmohamady, Ahmed Ayman Mansour, Mahmoud Alaa, Ahmed Abou-Elfotouh
Midfielders: Walid Soliman, Abdallah El Said, Mohamed Elneny, Tarek Hamed, Mahmoud “Trezeguet” Hassan, Amr Warda, Nabil Emad
Forwards: Ahmed Ali, Mohamed Salah, Marwan Mohsen, Ahmed "Kouka" Hassan.

The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry

Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000

Engine: 3.5-litre V6

Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm

Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin

Director: Shawn Levy

Rating: 3/5

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

How to get there

Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
 

Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

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
SPEC%20SHEET
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Jawan
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Updated: July 22, 2022, 6:01 PM