Abu Dhabi: Easy access to running water may seem like a normal thing nowadays, but Simon Gomez James is still thankful for it every day. For just about four decades ago, finding water for one’s daily needs meant purchasing water containers and using these sparingly.
“We would buy two containers, each containing about 15 litres of water, and use it for everything from cooking to washing. Within two days, it would be over and we would have to head out once again to get water,” the 80-year-old Indian told Gulf News.
“Despite the harsh desert conditions, the UAE still felt like a blessed land to me. I came here and I just never wanted to go anywhere else,” James said.
The long-term expatriate has spent more than 46 years in Abu Dhabi, and feels he has grown with the city. It has also given him numerous opportunities, and being here has always felt like a lucky charm, he says.
“When I arrived in 1968, I was dropped off at Dubai airport. To come to Abu Dhabi, we had to share various vehicles that were up for hire. I had initially planned to join a group travelling in a four-wheeler, but found out that I had no riyals with me, which was the currency in use at the time. So I went looking for a money exchange,” James recounts.
After converting the currency, James booked a place in a smaller vehicle.
“I experienced my first bumpy ride across the desert, looking for tyre tracks on the sands to find our way to Abu Dhabi,” he said.
On his second day in the capital, James was then shocked to hear that the four-wheeler he had planned to hire had toppled over in the desert, and the passengers in it had died.
“I felt then that the UAE had already been lucky for me. And now I have been here for so long that even if I wanted to leave the country, I feel as if the country would not let go of me,” he said.
James eventually brought his wife over to the UAE, and his children who were studying in India continued to make frequent trips. His son is now settled in the UAE, and his daughter only recently moved away from the country with her family. He himself heads and participates in a number of associations, include the Kairali Pravasi Association which works to aid needy Indian expatriates
The long-term resident says there is no other country in the world like the UAE, especially in terms of the security it offers.
“The hospitality here is also incomparable. I remember when I came here that the Emiratis would invite you into their homes if they found you sitting outside. They would feed you and give you a place to rest and you would feel like you were a part of the family. So although the country was just desert and some small buildings, the hospitality and charm of the UAE people more than made up for the harsh conditions,” James said.
“Over the years, it has gone from being a country that had barely anything to rivalling the most developed places in the world. This shows the vision of its leadership, especially of Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan,” he added.
He congratulated the country on marking 42 years since its establishment.
“I have no doubt that it will simply continue to reach greater heights in the future,” James said.
