BOAC rest house: Sharjah’s Al Mahatta Museum houses UAE’s first 1932 hotel

Dubai: In 1932, the UAE’s hospitality and aviation journey began in Sharjah with the opening of the BOAC Rest House, the nation’s first hotel. Built beside the emirate’s earliest airfield, the fortified guesthouse was established by Imperial Airways (later BOAC) as part of a stopover network for flights from Britain to India and beyond.

The rest house provided overnight accommodation for passengers and crew, offering simple meals and comfort at a time when long-haul air travel was still in its pioneering phase. Located on Sharjah’s historic airfield, it became a vital link in global aviation, reflecting the emirate’s early role in connecting continents.

Today, the site is celebrated as the Al Mahatta Museum a unique landmark that highlights Sharjah’s pioneering contribution to aviation. The museum preserves the original rest house, the historic control tower, and the aircraft hangar, which now showcases vintage planes and rare aviation artefacts. Visitors can experience the atmosphere of 1930s air travel while exploring the evolution of aviation in the Gulf, from propeller-driven aircraft to the jet age. As of June 2025, the museum was closed for renovation.

With the opening of Sharjah International Airport in 1977, Al Mahatta entered a new chapter, later restored and inaugurated as a museum in 2000. Since then, it has stood as a cultural treasure, offering insight into the UAE’s rich aviation legacy.

From that modest guesthouse in 1932, Sharjah and the wider UAE has grown into a global hub for both tourism and aviation. The BOAC Rest House remains a landmark of national pride, symbolising the remarkable journey from early desert airstrips to world-class airports and luxury hotels.