Tales from the country roads: A photographic exploration of the UAE

Dusk descends upon a small Masafi village off the Dibba-Masafi Road in Ras Al Khaimah. This rustic scene evokes countless sleepy towns in my homeland, the Philippines, such as San Jacinto, where I spent my formative years. (December 2018)

A local resident in the mountain town of Hatta, poses casually for a quick portrait. The traditional clothes, the sagging wooden bench, the shade from the leafy canopy falling over the front yard, and the gas lamp hanging on a post hint at a simpler life, now fading fast. (October 2016)

A roadside cafeteria in the vicinity of Asimah, Ras Al Khaimah extends the courtesy of complimentary water to its customers. (April 2017)

Two large red couches lay abandoned on the side of the road going to Wadi Shis in Sharjah. (February 2017)

In Nahwa town, a counter-enclave of Sharjah, a resident from the local community patiently stands by the roadside, selling vegetables to passing motorists as daylight begins to wane. (February 2017)

Filipino petrol station attendants in Al Dhaid, Sharjah pose for a photograph during a quiet moment in the establishment. They said most of their friends are in Dubai, but their work requires them to live in Dhaid. Earnings take priority over their social circle, they said. (December 2018)

In the vast expanse of a treeless desert, an abandoned building along the roadside near Tawi Rbaya, Umm Al Quwain, with a solitary wild donkey next to it. (April 2017)

A young ghaf tree exemplifies remarkable resilience amidst the harsh desert environment of Wadi Maidaq by taking root on a protruding rock. (March 2017)

Roadside vendors in Sifuni village, Ras Al Khaimah offer traditional Arabic food to tourists and casual weekend drivers while they take in the beautiful mountain scenery and the cold December weather. (December 2017)

Fruit vendors dot the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Freeway just past Al Dhaid to Fujairah, selling fruit from the trunks of their cars parked precariously on the road’s edge. Some vendors remain until sunset, enduring the chilling winter gusts, to sell all their goods. (December 2017)

Thick fog envelops as a mother and her daughter walks on a deserted Dubai city street as 2017 draws to a close. (December 2017)

A laborer poses for a quick photo inside a labour camp in Al Jazirah Al Hamra old town in Ras Al Khaimah. (January 2017)

A street vendor in Al Bithnah village in Fujairah. In small villages, where residents are scattered, goods are commonly sold by mobile vendors rather than in fixed shops. (January 2017)

An elderly Arab couple enjoys a leisurely walk along the banks of Wadi Shawka in Ras Al Khaimah. (February 2017)

The serpentine mountain road to Maidaq in Al Ghayl, Ras Al Khaimah offers stunning views, especially from elevated vantage points. The undulating contours of the Hajjar Mountains evoke memories of the Cordillera and Sierra Madre mountain ranges encompassing more than half of Luzon island in the Philippines. (March 2017)