Look: How Emiratis lived in the past

It was early hours of the morning as the leader of Emirati’s Al Mazari tribe and his friends reached the traditional Emirati house on the edge of a small mountain in Wadi Al Aim area in Ras Al Khaimah. Above Saeed Rashid Al Mazroui (right), Obaid Al Mazroui (middle) and Rashid Al Mazroui (left), Amir of Al Mazroui tribe.

Wooden door to enter the second section of the house called ‘Arish’ — a shaded shelter used by the Bedouin during the hot summer months. “A tent used in the winter to protect people from the cold weather, ‘Arish’ was our shelter in the summer where a family used to sit and have food,” Rashid Al Mazroui, Amir of the tribe in Ras Al Khaimah said. “This is a traditional Emirati house that still exists, even after all these days. Our tribe, living in a modern village nearby, had left their old houses.”

A big smile spread across Rashid’s face, making the wrinkles on his face even deeper, as he was pointed to the forgotten old house, while his friends sat on the mat to have their traditional Emirati breakfast. The four elderly persons had survived the hardships of a desert life before discovering oil and the establishment of UAE in the early 1970s. They sat with Gulf News to share the story of an ambitious nation that is now busy exploring space. Above, (left to right) Saeed Rashid Al Mazroui, Rashid Al Mazroui, Amir of Al Mazroui tribe, Obaid Al Mazroui and Ahmad Al Mazroui.

Wadi Al Aim where Al Mazroui tribe live. The history of the UAE is diverse, brimming with tales of nomadic Arabs who once inhabited the region. Known for their unique lifestyle, they are an intrinsic part of the region and its heritage. They are famous for their sense of respect, hospitality and courage.

The 62-year-old Emirati woman, Umm Mariam, said that her mother and grandmother used to primarily consume rice and food made from flour, while also relishing tea, nuts, dried fruit, dates and goat meat. “People used to cook food on the campfires. Women used to make both, thick as well as thin bread, to be served with dates and coffee — especially for breakfast,” said Umm Mariam. “Our mothers used to make butter and buttermilk by churning milk in a bag made of animal skin. Boiling the milk for long would produce a cheese-like substance called ‘Teget’.”

Rashid Al Mazroui, Amir of the tribe in Ras Al Khaimah, told Gulf News that his tribe lived for centuries in Wadi Al Aim and Wadi Al Ais. “Over centuries, we survived the scarcity of water and other resources, to create a life full of simple but beautiful traditions. Life was full of hardships for Emiratis in the harsh desert climates before the discovery of oil and the establishment of the Union in the early 1970s,” said Rashid Al Mazroui, who has two wives, eight sons, 13 daughters and many grandchildren. He pointed that there wasn’t even a marked road system to connect people who lived in the different emirates. People used camel or donkey to travel for several days to sell or buy goods in Sharjah, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi. Above, Rashid Al Mazroui, Amir of Al Mazroui tribe (left) and Obaid Al Mazroui, from Al Mazroui tribe in middle of the mountains of Wadi Al Aim in Ras Al Khaimah.

Obaid bin Saeed Al Mazroui, 71-year-old, said that the First and Second World Wars had a negative impact on the economic life in the UAE. “The poverty started with the World Wars. There was not much work back then. People either worked as farmers in the handful of farms in the area or collected wood to sell them. We used to get dates from Basra in Iraq as it reached the villages close to the sea,” Obaid said.

Umm Maryam make butter and buttermilk by churning milk in a bag made of animal skin.

Umm Maryam from Al Mazroui tribe preparing coffee in a traditional Emirati style.

An Emarati women from the Al Mazroui tribe.

Children from Al Mazroui tribe play a game.

Emirati women at the mountains of Wadi Al Aim in Ras Al Khaimah.

Children from Al Mazroui tribe pose for a picture.

Traditional breakfast at the Emirati traditional house of Al Mazroui tribe in the mountains of Wadi Al Aim in Ras Al Khaimah.

The traditional way of grinding grain.

Camels seen at Wadi Al Aim in Ras Al Khaimah.

An old handmade toy.