In Pictures: A passage through UAE history

The three sections of Dubai clustered around the Creek in the 1950s. The long curving sandbank of Shindagha is in the foreground, Bur Dubai is at the back, and Deira is on the other side of the Creek to the left.

Emiri guards walk over the causeway linking the mainland to Abu Dhabi island, heading towards the old guard tower in the middle of the channel in 1950. The first Maqta Bridge was built In 1967. It was later expanded. In 2010, it was joined by the new Sheikh Zayed Bridge.

Passengers prepare to board a Kuwait Airways flight at Dubai International Airport in 1966.

A view of the Clock Tower, Dubai, in 1967.

At the mouth of the Dubai creek, fishermen bring in the day’s catch while vendors wait to take the fresh fish to the market in 1968.

The UAE's founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan meets the crew of Apollo 17 in Abu Dhabi, 1976.

The UAE’s founding father Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan interacts with people during a visit to Al Dhafra in 1980.

Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, late Ruler of Dubai, at the ground breaking for the expansion of Jebel Ali Port.

The crew of EK600, the Karachi-bound first Emirates flight on October 25, 1985, pose for the cameras before passengers come on board for the inaugural flight.

A contingent from the UAE stands at ease on the tarmac of Kuwait International Airport on February 23, 2003, as part of the Peninsula Shield Force.

Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Fujairah at the Al Owais Dam in Fujairah in 2006.

Electronic voting machines are used during the third phase of elections to the Federal National Council at the Sharjah Expo Centre in 2006.

A Dubai Metro train runs along the 'red line' on the first day of its operation in Dubai in 2009.

The Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, opened in 2010. It has drawn visitors from around the world and is one of Dubai’s top attractions.

Aerial view of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi in 2010.

Aircraft take part in a colourful aerobatic display at the 2009 Dubai Airshow.The Dubai Airshow is one of the largest and most successful air shows in the world.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Pope Francis and Dr Ahmad Al Tayeb, Grand Imam of the Al Azhar Al Sharif, sign a commemorative stone at The Founders Memorial in 2019.

Etihad Rail, when completed, will run across a 1,200km track that will connect all the emirates. It is expected to transform logistics and transport not only in the UAE but also the GCC.

Hazzaa Al Mansoori became the first Emirati in space and the first Arab to travel to the International Space Station when he blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 25, 2019. Mansoori, a 35-year-old former military pilot, spent eight days at the International Space Station doing scientific experiments.

The Al Wasl Plaza, bathed in deep ocean blue light, welcomes the world to Expo 2020 Dubai. After 2,864 days of intense preparation, Expo 2020 opened on October 1, 2021, sharing the UAE’s vision for a global future — a blend of sustainability and technology.