On the occasion of National Day, Gulf News reader Murli Patni, who came to Dubai 35 years ago, shares his pictures. He said: “I came to Dubai in 1977 to work as an art director. Back then, the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) was the tallest building in the city. I was told that being a desert, the soil in Dubai was soft and tall buildings could not be constructed. But today, Dubai has the tallest tower in the world — Burj Khalifa!”
Looking back, the Indian national could never imagine the skyline of Dubai as it is today.
He said: “The UAE is a country with a vision because of which, Dubai is one of the top cities in the world. There are no words to applaud the progress and development the UAE has made. From a two-lane narrow road, Shaikh Zayed Road is a 16-lane highway today. From being the far end of Dubai back then, DWTC is just the starting point of New Dubai today.”
In the 1980s, the infrastructure of Dubai was very basic and distances were short.
“Taxis were owned by individuals and did not follow the meter system. The abras or water taxis in Deira and Bur Dubai were not as sophisticated as they are today. Just over a few decades, the UAE worked towards growth in each field, be it government, infrastructure, businesses, tourism or construction. What we see today was unimaginable even a few years ago. If today the country is excelling, it is because they have worked very hard. I would like to thank the UAE for giving me and my family the best of everything.”
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