10 books that perfectly capture life in the UAE, through its past, present, and poems

‘Sheikh Zayed: An Eternal Legacy’ by Myrna Ayad — The book gives an eye-opening account of the fraught time in the late 60s, when the British announced their plan to withdraw from the Trucial States after 150 years of influence. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late UAE President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, knew he needed to act fast and unify the states under one umbrella for its own protection. In December of 1971, after a series of negotiations, the United Arab Emirates was born, and Sheikh Zayed, its founding father, was named the first President. The book not only looks at his rich legacy, but it also gives credit to his belief in taking care of his people, giving equal rights to women and together, the UAE could achieve the impossible.

My Little World by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum — This children’s book, written by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is a collection of five stories based on his early life experiences. Blending engaging storytelling with keen observations about human relationships, learning and the desert, Sheikh Mohammed recounts incidents and interactions in his early life that played a major role in shaping his outlook and values. In the richly anecdotal stories, His Highness shares the life-changing lessons he learnt from various past events. Written for children aged between 6 and 9, the collection introduces young readers to nature and desert wildlife with captivating stories that enrich their understanding of life.

‘Qissati’ (My Story) by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum — Labelled as an ‘incomplete biography’ that marks Sheikh Mohammed’s 50 years of service to the Emirates, the book gives detailed insights of the period in which the UAE was established. n the first chapters, Sheikh Mohammed speaks of Dubai’s history, saying: “Dubai is not a mere coincidence. It is a long journey. That journey started with Sheikh Maktoum Bin Butti, who laid the foundations. And then his brother, Saeed Bin Butti, who taught us about pure justice. That’s the first lesson in Dubai’s unwritten Constitution. The second lesson, also taught by Saeed Bin Butti, is that we don’t make enemies — and we don’t give anybody an excuse to be our enemy.”

‘The Sheikh CEO’ by Dr Yasser Jarrar — Few know that even as he runs the city with a business-like precision, Sheikh Mohammed is not immune to the hard work put in by his staff. Which is why he doesn’t hesitate to treat them to an impromptu Chinese meal ahead of a crucial meeting. ‘The Sheikh CEO’ is a carefully crafted tale of Sheikh Mohammed’s enterprising approach to running Dubai. It’s an engaging narrative about his penchant for risk-taking, even when the chips are stacked against him. Through his book, Dr Yasar Jarrar, a former member of The Executive Office of His Highness, paints a story of a man and his vision that has transformed Dubai into the global city it is today.

‘From Rags to Riches: The Story of Abu Dhabi’ by Mohammed Al Fahim — Born in Al Ain in 1948, author Mohammed Abdul Jalil Al Fahim grew up in poverty, spending time playing in the palace grounds, while bearing witness to a simple life in Abu Dhabi before the oil boom transformed the emirate into a sprawling metropolis that we see today. The book gives an intimate look into Bedouin society, watching how their lives changed overnight and gives an insight into the inner workings of the local business community.

‘Showpiece City: How Architecture Made Dubai’ by Todd Reisz — Dubai’s skyline and its glistening architecture has sparked hundreds of books, but what stands apart from the rest is Todd Reisz’s in-depth look into the history of a sleepy port city that dreamed of reaching for the skies in the shadow of the oil boom in the 60s. The book turns the history pages pack to 1959, when a town plan took shape, spearheaded by Dubai’s ruler and mapped out by British architect John Harris. ‘Showpiece City’ recounts the story of how Harris and other hired professionals planned Dubai’s transformation through the 1970s, drawing on exclusive interviews, private archives, photographs and government documents.

‘Camels Love Dubai’ by Stephen Wilkins — If you are looking for a book that captures the essence of Dubai from a teen’s point of view then this is your pick. Mohan Adikaram is a young boy from Sri Lanka who lost everything in the tsunami that struck the island nation in December 2004. Haunted by nightmares of his friend Bimal who could have been saved from drowning, Mohan gets a new lease on life after he is adopted by a wealthy man from Dubai. Mohan’s story is told in two parts: first, as a 10-year-old in Sri Lanka and then as a 17-year-old just starting his first year at university in Dubai. What the book perfectly encapsulates is a contemporary life in Dubai and how an expat finds himself a new home in foreign surroundings.

‘Arabian Sands’ by Wilfred Thesiger — The book captures the extraordinary adventures of author Wilfred Thesiger who made several journeys across the Empty Quarter or the Rub Al Khali in 1959, which connects the UAE with Saudi Arabia and Oman. Travelling from Dhofar to Liwa Oasis, while battling the heat, dwindling resources and interacting with Bedouin tribes along the way, the book is a must-read for anyone who has passed through these sands and gazed back into its rich history.

‘The End of Empire in the Gulf: From Trucial States to United Arab Emirates’ by Tancred Bradshaw — Academic historian Tancred Bradshaw has painstakingly gone through nearly 40,000 pages of archival material to paint an in-depth portrayal of the British Empire’s hold over the Trucial States before its withdrawal in 1971. From the Foreign Office taking control of the Arabian Gulf until the discovery of oil in Abu Dhabi, the slow end of the British Empire and the origins of the UAE are beautifully captured here.

‘The Nabati Poetry of the United Arab Emirates: Selected Poems, Annotated and Translated into English’ by Clive Holes and Said Salman Abu Athera — Nabati poetry is a traditional form of poetry that has been passed down generations amongst the Bedouin tribes and has an almost lyrical quality to the verses. This book gives an account of the tradition as practiced in the UAE, demonstrated by English translations of 53 poems by 25 different poets covering the last half of the century. The original Arabic poems are also included, with brief notes on their language and rhyme. A bonus with the book is a CD containing recordings of 22 of the poems in original Arabic.