Tour Guide, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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Crossing the strait of the Gulf of Aden
Over 120,000 years ago, the first humans embarked on a journey from Africa’s horn, travelling via two distinct routes: north to Mesopotamia or south to the Arabian Peninsula, crossing the strait of the Gulf of Aden. From the Stone Age, the emirates lay at the heart of numerous exchanges with countries in the Gulf, Mesopotamia, India, and even China.
Despite numerous foreign occupations occurring during European power struggles to control maritime routes between Asia and Europe, the emirates’ pearling industry reached its pinnacle in the 19th century, declining only by 1930. The discovery of oil, first in Abu Dhabi in 1958 and then in Dubai in 1966, redefined the region. 1971 marked the establishment of the United Arab Emirates.
Shattering the stereotype of the UAE as a country without history,
This is the saga of a country that only 50 years ago would not have been identified on a map but which now features on the global stage.
A country that was formerly untouched has now transformed into one of the world’s greatest tourist destinations.