Before the oil era began, it was simple village life in UAE

Life in the UAE has shifted remarkably, but the values of the Emirati society remain consistent amid life's rapid changes.
Before oil discovery, the UAE depended on a subsistence economy with families relying on natural resources to provide for basic needs, through pearl diving and agriculture.
Dr Fatima Al Sayegh, professor of history at UAE University, said back in the days, Emirati families produced just what they needed.
"In the past, it was a simple village life. Palm trees were used to provide dates as food for the family. Palm tree branches were used to build the house roofs. Tree trunks supported tents and flooring of dwellings were made by woven palm leaf strips," said Al Sayegh.
In the past, the small houses of low roofs were close to each other where families got their milk and cheese from cows and goats, and their water from a well.
But the life change in UAE didn't happen overnight. Al Sayegh described the UAE progress as a gradual process.
In the early 1960s, oil was discovered in Abu Dhabi, an event that led to quick unification calls made by UAE leaders in 1971. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan became the ruler of Abu Dhabi in 1966, and the British started losing their oil investments and contracts to US oil companies.
Openness to other cultures
Although simple housing was still dominant in the early 1970s and the government started granting houses for low-income families by the 80s, the real changes were only possible through the government actions and openness to change.
Over 300 years ago, Indian communities started migrating to the UAE for trade and life. Asians were then followed by Arabs in a wave of migration that changed the lifestyle of the entire country.
"When UAE families in the past disliked living by the seas due to its unpredictable nature, Westerners introduced the concept of building houses by the beach," said Al Sayegh.
A glimpse of the village life, though, can still be seen in areas like Hatta Heritage Village and Al Ain Museum. The wealth and oil might have changed the Emirati lifestyle, but haven't changed much about the society that's still connected to core values and traditions.
 
A Westerner's perspective on UAE progress
 
Photographer Anita Van Der Krol was 28 years old when she landed in Dubai from the Netherlands in 1975. She spent her time snapping pictures of Bedouins performing the traditional Merhaba dance, men relaxing at a Bedouin tent and shopkeepers of the old souq. "My favourite image is of the Bedouins in the tent, because they were incredibly nice to me when I approached, despite our language differences. They offered me coffee and talked to me through hand gestures," the 71-year-old recalled. Today, her pictures are on display at Dubai Frame.
 
Being among the first inhabitants of Jebel Ali, Der Krol witnessed the beginnings of the Jebel Ali harbour, the dry-docks and deepening of the Dubai Creek; projects that her husband, an engineer at the time, worked on. "We didn't know why Dubai was working in such projects, but now we know," she smiled, referring to today's busy Jebel Ali Port, Port Rashid and Dubai Canal that now play a major role in Dubai's economic development.
 
She witnessed the inauguration of Dubai's first skyscraper, the World Trade Centre, in 1979. Visiting Dubai from time to time, she said the city's transition from fishing village to a metropolis is "surreal."
 
'UAE is 30 years ahead'
 
Indian resident Shabeel Ummer said his family's journey in the UAE started when his grandfather moved to the country in 1955. This was followed by his father in 1968. "There were no roads, but only signs to follow. Private taxis were the main mode of transportation. After the 1970s, road infrastructures started developing. Trips from Al Ain to Abu Dhabi were priced at only Dh3," said 43-year-old Ummer, recalling his father's anecdotes. There were only two hospitals in Al Ain then, and the first Indian school was opened in 1978. Ummer was born at Kennedy Hospital (now called Oasis) in Al Ain in 1975.
 
Ummer still remembers when Dubai World Trade Centre was the UAE's tallest skyscraper. "Coming from Al Ain, we would know we are nearing Dubai by seeing the tip of the tower from a distance. Now, we have to be 100 metres close to see it as all other skyscrapers filled the street." Four generations down the line, his son was born in 2005 in the UAE with access to the best education. "Dubai is trying to move 10 years ahead of other countries, but I would say they are 30 years ahead. At only 13 years old, my son is getting access to educational material I got access to when I was 30 years old!"
 
 
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com