A Dh10 camera and seven decades of memories: UAE’s first female photographer

Dubai: Long before smartphones put a camera in every pocket, Sheikha Jassim Al Suwaidi was photographing the people, neighbourhoods and everyday scenes of Dubai with a camera that cost her just Dh10.

Her journey began in the 1950s, when cameras were rare and photography was far less accessible than it is today. What started as a personal interest would eventually leave the UAE with a visual record of a society on the verge of profound change, according to Al Bayan newspaper.

Recognised as the UAE’s first female photographer, Al Suwaidi began by turning her lens towards those closest to her: relatives, children and neighbours. A photograph of her mother remained among the images dearest to her.

Her field of view gradually widened.

She photographed traditional homes, old neighbourhoods, markets, the sea, nature and the faces of ordinary people. Decades later, those pictures offer glimpses of a Dubai that existed before its sweeping urban and economic transformation.

A memory of place

Al Suwaidi did not initially approach photography as a formal historical project.

Yet time transformed the significance of her work. Buildings disappeared, neighbourhoods changed and patterns of daily life evolved, giving her photographs growing historical and social value.

Her archive preserves details that many younger generations never experienced: a Dubai where the sea, traditional houses, neighbourhoods and old markets formed the fabric of everyday life.

The significance of the photographs extends beyond their artistic qualities. They provide an informal record of society, capturing ordinary moments away from official ceremonies and major public events.

In that sense, her camera recorded not only places but also the rhythm of daily life before the city began the transformation that would establish it as a major global centre.

A pioneer before photography became accessible

Al Suwaidi’s place in UAE photography rests not simply on being the first, but on the circumstances in which she began.

She entered the field decades before specialist institutions, photography schools and digital technology made the craft widely accessible.

Over time, she became known as “Umm Al Musawireen”, or “Mother of Photographers”, reflecting both her pioneering position and the influence her journey had on later generations of Emirati photographers.

Her contribution received national recognition in 2014, when she was honoured under the UAE Pioneers initiative as the country’s first Emirati female photographer.

The recognition placed her among a generation of Emiratis whose early ventures into unfamiliar fields helped open opportunities for those who followed.