Dubai: With the UAE developing on an astronomical scale since its inception, for many Emiratis who grew up in its nascent years it is still a dream.
Growing up in the early 1970s, for a regular Emirati boy the world didn’t extend beyond his village or neighbourhood.
“We hardly knew the world around us. We hardly saw any TV or newspaper then. Our dreams and aspirations were limited by what we saw around us. There was no exposure to the outside world, unlike today’s children who are aware about the world through social media, TV and other sources of communication,” said Khaled Al Hammadi, an Emirati banker.
Al Hammadi was born less than two months after the UAE’s birth as a country and his turn of fortunes is similar to those of his motherland.
Hailing from the modest settings of Ras Al Khaimah, Al Hammadi is the eighth of nine siblings, with his early life nowhere in comparison to young Emiratis’ experience these days.
“Growing up in a small neighbourhood in Ras Al Khaimah, we didn’t have all the things the children have today. What we had was an entirely different set up, life was absolutely different at that time. We didn’t play with the kind of toys today’s children have, like PlayStation, tablets and smart phones,” said Al Hammadi
The favourite pastimes of young Al Hammadi and his friends and siblings was riding bicycles, fishing and playing football.
“As children we were closely rooted to the earth and traditions, fishing was an part of exposure to life, which every child had to learn. After coming back from school, we spent most of our time riding bicycles and playing football. That was the environment we were used to and that was the world for us,” said Al Hammadi, reminiscing his childhood days.
What about entertainment, shopping and malls?
“We didn’t have any malls or game centres in Ras Al Khaimah. The only shopping centre that existed in those days was Al Ghurair Centre in Dubai, which was far away and we could only go there occasionally,” said Al Hammadi.
He fondly remembers the first gaming arcade he saw as a boy.
“Al Ghurair Centre had a place called Sindbad where we used to go sometimes and play some of the old arcade games and it felt like heaven when we were there!” he recalled.
Al Hammadi’s first exposure to the outside world was when he travelled to the US for his higher studies.
“When I travelled abroad, especially when I went to the US to study, I realised that there is another world out there. I also realised that there is no limit to what you can achieve. Luckily, when I came back and started working those aspirations and dreams were also the dreams of the nation,” he added.
When he came back and saw the aspirations of the UAE leadership, Al Hammadi believed that his country has what it takes to dream big.
“To be honest, as a young man I never thought my country would be as developed and advanced as it is today, but thanks to the farsightedness and passion of our leaders, today when we look around and see the things that we have achieved it feels like a dream,” said Al Hammadi.
He attributes the UAE’s key to success to its focus on infrastructure.
“We probably have the best infrastructure in the region and even at the global level, I am sure we are among the top countries. The only thing we miss out in our infrastructure is mass transportation at the national level. We must focus on having a countrywide strong mass transportation network soon. Then we will be on top of the world,” he said.
Another key factor in the UAE’s growth, he said, is the ease of doing business in the country, compared to other nations in the region.
“The fact that all major international companies of the world want to come here and do business with us goes to show that we have a platform of strong infrastructure. The lifestyle that we have, the freedom to do things and the ease of doing business makes life much more enjoyable here for everyone,” said Al Hammadi.
Al Hammadi believes that the UAE will always stay ahead of others in the region.
“We will always lead in providing the highest living standard, because we have built state of the art communities all across the country, where people can maintain a standard of living far ahead of the region, and in many cases as good as the developed nations,” he said.
With the infrastructure, business opportunities, shopping and leisure destinations mushrooming, he feels tourists and talents will continue to flock to the country.
“Now we have pretty much everything that we used to travel around the world for. We have big shopping malls, beautiful resorts and hotels, we have amazing recreational facilities like Yas Island, IMG and other theme parks — things that neighbouring countries will aspire and dream to have, and for which the visitors from the region will flock to the UAE,” he added.
However, he believes there is a room for improvement and a lot more is to be achieved.
“One thing that I would like to change or improve is the telecom sector. Telecom is good but we are still not as competitive as some of the developed nations in terms of telecom offerings and the ease of access to the digital world. I am sure it is just a matter of time before this will also change,” he hoped.
Happily married with five children, Al Hammadi however, misses the family atmosphere of the old days.
“I miss the family atmosphere, families were more connected back then, we used to spend a lot of time together, unlike today when we are mostly with our smart phones. We spent a lot of time outdoor when the weather was nice, going to the mountains and enjoying barbecues,” he said.
He added: “We used to camp in the desert and live there just like our ancestors did. It used to feel so great. This is something we can still do, but we hardly do it anymore. Life has become so practical now, these things don’t happen that often anymore. Each one of us is busy in our own life. Now, we are together mostly during Eid and that’s when we reminisce about the old days.”
