1987
Her first visit to the UAE was in 1987. My mother flew from Paris to Abu Dhabi with her parents and younger sister to explore the Middle East for the first time. Nobody knew about Abu Dhabi around their circle in France. A relative asked, “Are you going to Addis Ababa?”
For 2 weeks during the winter fresh breeze, they were invited to experience the Emirati culture.
Like many westerners today, they were surprised by the people’s generosity and hospitality. To welcome them in celebration my Emirati family prepared a feast. They sat on the floor ready to indulge with their hands, which was not as common in France. “Of course we were given spoons,” my mother said. They sat on the floor like them around the irresistible ghuzi (traditional roasted goat served on a plate of rice) and all ate from the same platter as one family.
While exploring the capital city, she recalls that there were fewer roads and more locals around. Most times, they were the only foreigners. Nobody spoke English and definitely not French, so my relatives translated their conversations into Arabic on the daily.
As they walked by the Corniche, they recalled barely seeing any tourists or foreigners, which led them to experience the culture first hand. There were families fishing with their rods hanging off the barrier. The paved walkway was decorated with fountains, greenery, and big round bulbs. However, it was not a public beach like we now know it to be. The only “ladies beach” was further towards what is now Qasr Al Watan.
When they visited the fish market in Al Mina she recalls while laughing, “You would only see men and we were the only blondes there”. There were dhows parked by the sea. It was a romantic experience.
Immersing themselves further, they wanted to dress alike. “We wanted to dress appropriately,” she said, and so they bought fabrics and my father took them to the tailor to get some traditional dresses or jalabiyas made. Later when she settled in the country, she opened a fashion boutique called Tour Eiffel. She made traditional dresses with colorful embroidery, unconventional designs and shoulder pads following the trends of that time.
I admire my mother’s adventurous spirit. Moving to a completely unknown place, culture and way of living is not for everyone. She formally studied the Arabic language and Islamic history in preparation of the big move. More than 30 years later, she cannot imagine herself living anywhere else than Abu Dhabi.
What else happened that year?
The UAE’s population was an estimated 1.5 million people compared to around 10 million today (link).
Sheikh Zayed marked 21 years as Ruler of Abu Dhabi and 15 years as the UAE’s President (link).
UAE announced that its oil reserves amount to 200 billion barrels, and expects them to become the second largest in the world (link).
Etisalat launched the “start of mobile phones” (link).
Meanwhile in France, the Walt Disney Company and the French government signed an agreement to build the new theme park in Paris (link).