View of the World Trade Centre in Dubai circa 1977, isolated in the middle of the Desert. I was in Dubai at the time building the leisure centre Al Nasr Leisureland, containing the first ice rink in the Middle East.
The world Trade Centre in 12018 on Sheik Zayed Road, lost amongst the skyscrapers. It can be seen half way up on the left hand side, dwarfed. It was designed by John Harris Architects, built by Bernard Sunley and opened by the Queen in 1979.
Post card of Dubai from the mid 1970's, when the population was 183,000
Post card from 2018, when the population was around 3,500,000.
Dubai as a pearl fishing village in the 1940's, when part of the British administered Trucial States.
Dubai in the late 1970's with the Trade centre and Sheik Zayed Road to Abu Dhabi. Will insert recent arial photograph
Promotional brochure for Al Nasr Leisureland with the model, 1977
Arial view of the project which opened in 1980
The wave pool, 1980
The Ice Rink
Construction of the wave pool
Opened
The same pool in 2018, 38 years later.
Me kitted out in Ice Hockey gear, 1980
Back on the rink in 2018, most surprised that the rink and Al Nasr leisureland was still there 38 years later, in Dubai!
The rather uninspiring entrance to Al Nasr Leisureland in 1979
The same entrance in 2018, the last "then and now", I promise.
A secret oasis in the mountains behind Dubai
Wadi Bashing, seriously off road
The desert blooms. Silene villosa , in English Catch Fly, in arabic "Turbah". From the Caruophyllaceae family, pinks.
Heliotropium ramosissimum, from the borage family
A Paradise in the Haggar Mountains of Dubai, UAE
Dried specimens of the wild caper plant, Capparis mucronifolia, found growing as a shrub on the side of a mountain wadi, dry river bed.
Unrestored interior courtyard of the Shandagha Palace in Dubai. It was the home of Sheikh Said al Maktoum, Died 1958, the father of Sheikh Rashid al Maktoum [1912-1990] He in turn was the father of Sheikh Maktoum al Maktoum, died 2006' and the current ruler Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum.
The palace from the creek in 1978, it has now been totally restored. I hope to visit it soon.
A selection of traditional Wind Towers in the bastakia district of old Dubai
More Wind Towers. They act as effective natural air conditioning, drawing air down into the interior through wet cloth hung at the base of the tower.
Dow traders in the Creek, note the car on the deck
The outside toilet hung on the side of a trading dhow plying their trade between Dubai and Iran, across the Persian/Arabian Gulf , and further afield to Pakistan and onwards up into Afghanistan.
Building fishing dhows on the beach in Dubai in the late 1970's.
My earliest photograph of Dubai taken from my bedroom of the Dubai 'Intercon" hotel. Circa 1976. Note the Sheraton Hotel under construction on the far left looking up the creek. . Il opened in 1978.
Night view of Dubai with the Burj Khalifa on the left. Taken from the 33 floor of D1 Tower. A block of apartments in a 284 meter tower. The Burj is 828 metres high, compare with the Shard in London of 306 metres
Skyscrapers at Dubai Marina. Dubai is third in the world for Skyscrapers; Hong Kong has 317, New York City with 297, and Dubai with 173, and growing. Tokyo, at fourth, has 145.
The Raffles Hotel in WAFI Centre, Dubai, owned by Sheikh Mana bin Khalifa al Maktoum. Sheikh Mana developed the Al Nasr Leisureland which I was involved with all those years ago
The ancient Egyptian Temple at Luxor, print by David Roberts. The inspiration for the exterior of the hotel.
The Hotel at night
The Temple at Luxor, Egypt, at night
Censorship in 1980 in Dubai
Another example
The Arabian Oryx, Oryx leucotyx, now extinct in the wild. This herd is in the Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa on the Al Ain Road out of Dubai.
A view from the terrace with the desert beyond.
Rock carvings found whilst wadi bashing in the late 1970's
Location map
Whilst living in Dubai we did a number of trips up the coast passed Ras El Khaimah, camping on the beach I came across Chinese pottery sherds at a place called Julfar.
I collected a few examples, as one does. On my return to the UK I took them to the V&A for identification, see letters below. Te Archeologists Geoffrey and Beatrice de Cardi have been digging the site from 1989.
Letter from the V&A
And a thank you from Roy Strong.
Dubai airport 1980, a contrast of cultures, a Bedu with his hawks flying to Pakistan .
An Emirati in his traditional Dish Dash on the ice rink, 1980
Simon & Magaret de Mare outside the Louvre Abu Dhabi, 2018.
Cartoon
A Selfie!
The collection of sherds from Julfa
As a lamp
Detail of sherds found on site with identification.
