Capital builds on its success

Abu Dhabi: Outside of his suburban whitewashed villa decorated with flowers, the Abu Dhabi flag flutters in the morning breeze. The old flag is David Heard's proof of his connection with the past.

He came to a desert town known as Abu Dhabi in 1963, straight out of college, leaving his girlfriend behind in the UK expecting that he would work briefly in the oil fields and then return home.

Forty-five years later, David Heard still lives in Abu Dhabi with his wife and children. "I wanted to see the world. It's not all green fields and trees, you know," the 69-year-old Heard says in a soft English accent.

Black and white pictures that speak a thousand words are hung on the walls of his staircase. "This is my wife and I visiting Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan," Heard says.

After studying geology and physics at university, Heard was looking for experience and adventure and the UAE in the 1960s was a perfect fit for him. Heard was one of 30 Westerners working for the Abu Dhabi Petroleum Company.

"The airport at the time could only take small aircraft," Heard smiles as he recalls the vast difference between the two Abu Dhabi's he has come to know well.

The tallest "high rise" was three floors only. There were no major roads for there to be traffic congestion. There were no malls or shopping festivals. There were no mega billion dollar projects or man-made islands.

"These were the days when oil was only $2 [about Dh7.3] a barrel," Heard laughs. Oil production was still very low and sceptics of an oil boom were abundant.

Heard's stories of Abu Dhabi are almost unreal when looked at in light of the way the capital is today. It's hard to imagine Abu Dhabi without the Corniche or Abu Dhabi without its skyscrapers, let alone Abu Dhabi without its extravagant shopping malls.

In 19, Gulf News reported that the main projects include a championship golf course, a Dh70 million souq, upgrade of the zoo and redevelopment of recreation facilities.

"We couldn't go to Dubai because the roads were too rough and we also needed a permit to leave Abu Dhabi. We spent most of our time working," he says.

On his walls are more pictures that seem like centuries ago, but in reality are only a few decades past. Pictures of wind towers and aerial photos of sand.

"No one could foresee this development in such a short period of time. We have a hard time keeping track of it," Heard adds.

Despite all that has changed, Heard is adamant that at least one thing has remained the same: "The people have not changed. It surprises me how there are so many other nationalities ... and the Emiratis are still as kind and hospitable as they were 45 years ago," Heard says.

In these 45 years, Heard and his family have seen friends come and go. "Over the years we thought we would pack up and return home. We never dreamed we would stay this long. We always said that we would just stay a little longer and here we are today," Heard says.

Now that he is retired, Heard has more time to sit back and reflect on the past four and a half decades in hopes of completing a book.

When time permits, he drives into the desert and just stares at the sand dunes and sees Abu Dhabi as it once was.