Why we need to keep telling the UAE’s story

Having institutions that focus on our history is important for us and for our visitors

The Etihad Museum was inaugurated in December and is now open to the public. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

Despite the vast transformation of the UAE over the past 45 years, the memory of its Founding Fathers is still fresh. Many members of the older generation recall meeting Sheikh Zayed at his majlis or sitting with Sheikh Rashid, having conversations and exchanging thoughts with them.

These two towering figures, and many of their contemporaries, have passed away, but there are still many first-hand accounts of those discussions, and other details of this nation’s story that need to be recorded and preserved for future generations. And this is why institutions such as the new Etihad Museum are so important.

The museum, which is next to Union House or Dar Al Etihad, is an elegant and spacious structure with exhibitions that tell the story of the birth of the nation. The collection comprises photographs, films, documents and interactive displays that explain to visitors the journey towards and beyond union, from 1968 until 1974, including material on the foundations of the country and how its constitution was formed.

These initiatives are important for several reasons. Our young country has developed so rapidly, with many remarkable achievements in the region and globally. There is much about the ­modern UAE to be proud of, and even more to look forward to, but we should also keep in mind how we started. As Sheikh Zayed once said: “He who does not have a past will not have a present or a ­future.”

Being in touch with the past is especially important for the younger generation who were born into a very different reality from their parents and grandparents. Visits to institutions such as the Etihad Museum, the National Archives and the Zayed National Museum – which is planned to be part of the Saadiyat Island Cultural District in Abu Dhabi – will support history lessons in school by providing an interactive space for students to learn in, perhaps, a more captivating way.

If the experience of history museums in other parts of the world is any guide, these places will also become tourist drawcards. There is much about our past – and our continuing success – for others to admire. The UAE may be a small nation, but it has come a very long way in a short time, and it has an inspiring story to tell.