Alhumdallilah”, is the simple caption for this image of a young boy mugging for the camera deep in the desert of Abu Dhabi.The location is Shah, one of a string of villages that form the Liwa Oasis and while the photograph is undated, it was probably taken after 1950 but before 1960.Shah still exists today – as, quite possibly does the boy – but in very different circumstances, including multi-lane motorway that connects the village to the capital in less than three hours.
In the time of this photograph, Liwa was the last watering hole after the coast and before the Empty Quarter, a place where camel caravans would regularly pass through.It was also the ancestral heartland of the Bani Yas tribe and the Al Nahyan family.
The men of Liwa would work as pearl divers in the summer months.Today Liwa remains important for other reasons, with the Shah gas field coming on stream this year. The Shah gas is “sour” meaning it has a high concentration of sulphur, which can be extracted and sold for export.
No longer a job for camels, the granulated sulphur will be transported on trains operated by Etihad Rail to Ruwais.Shah and Liwa’s other export is much more palatable. The Oasis has long been famous for its date palms, while that modern motorway makes a trip to next month’s Liwa Date Festival an easy day out.
* James Langton
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
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Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Continental champions
Best Asian Player: Massaki Todokoro (Japan)
Best European Player: Adam Wardzinski (Poland)
Best North & Central American Player: DJ Jackson (United States)
Best African Player: Walter Dos Santos (Angola)
Best Oceanian Player: Lee Ting (Australia)
Best South American Player: Gabriel De Sousa (Brazil)
Best Asian Federation: Saudi Jiu-Jitsu Federation
The Transfiguration
Director: Michael O’Shea
Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine
Three stars
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5