History of the UAE: As captured by 'royal photographer' Ramesh Shukla

With Rs.55 in his pocket, little food in a bag, barely enough to last him through the five-day long voyage on a boat from Bombay to Sharjah, a Rolleicord camera clutched close to his chest, Ramesh Shukla came to Sharjah in 1965 with a dream to make it big one day.

Popularly referred to as the ‘royal photographer’, this famous lens man made a mark for himself with his amazing clicks – whether they were capturing the life of a common man who lived with grace and honour in the undeveloped Trucial States of Oman, candid and formal pictures of the royals and government leaders, or the changing landscape of the UAE through the decades. Shukla’s photos are all over Dubai today.

A photo from the day UAE was established: Among his most talked about collections is a series of 130 black and white photographs spanning the critical years in the history of the UAE (1965-76), which present a unique visual record of the country on the threshold of far-reaching change.

The signing of the Federation that created the United Arab Emirates: Shukla has taken several photographs of the Rulers of the UAE which adorn palaces and private collections. His works appear on UAE postage stamps and currency notes as well

How it used be in the old days. Dubai-based Ramesh Shukla clicks a picture of a man carrying barrels of water on his shoulder on a misty morning in Satwa, Dubai

A National Day celebration in UAE: Shukla has received several awards, including a gold plate presented to him on the 26th Accession Day of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE.

Here is an aerial view of the Dubai Creek captured by popular Dubai-based photographer, Ramesh Shukla back in the 1960s

Pictured: An old man and his donkey who would often take shelter and rest in front of Shukla's house in Dubai. The Etihad Museum showcases a permanent exhibition of his best historical photographic collections.

An abra ride on Dubai creek would cost a few annas:

Ramesh Shukla takes a picture of the Late Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum inaugurating the Dubai museum in May 1971

Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (right) Chairman of Dubai Culture and Saeed Al Nabouda (second from left) Acting Director General of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority listen to Photogragher Ramesh Shukla beside his photo of the 1971 flag raising of the first UAE flag after inaugurating the photo exhibit of historical photos celebrating the 40th UAE National Day at the Union House in Dubai United Arab Emirates on Wednesday November 30, 2011.

Ramesh Shukla he loves to capture the lives of people. Here is one he took of a young Bedouin boy playing an instrument surrounded by birds

A photo from a National Day celebration in the UAE: His first break-through came in 1968 at the first Sharjah camel race. “I was a freelance photographer. My friend asked me to click pictures of the event. I bought a cycle costing Rs.18 just for the race. I made the trip from Dubai to Sharjah on my cycle. I cannot imagine this now. But that is how life was decades ago.”

From the signing of the Federation that created the United Arab Emirates:

Receiving the 10-year visa from General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai officials in 2020, the Dubai-based Shukla said, “UAE has been my home for more than 50 years now. I express my sincere gratitude to the leadership of the Government of UAE for recognising my contribution to the history of the country.”