The old town of Umm AL Quwain is getting a facelift. Old homes are being demolished by government contractors while the residents of these homes have been relocated to several different areas. Victor Besa / The National
A shopkeeper sits amid what’s left of the stock: bottles of dish soap, cartons of crisps, toothbrushes, tea, sickles, and brooms made of date frond. Victor Besa / The National
Goats in the main streets of the neighborhood. Victor Besa / The National
The one-storey courtyard houses of the old town were built in the 1970s and 1980s and are rented by labourers and low-income families who pay Dh1,000 to Dh2,000 a month. Victor Besa / The National
“If you lived anywhere else five or ten or twenty years, Europe, Canada, Australia, you’d have citizenship ... I do not.” Victor Besa / The National
The writing is literally on the wall for the area's demolition. Victor Besa / The National
Mohammed Fazlu outside his house. Victor Besa / The National
Abdul Kareem Fazlu and his Kadoo vegetable. Victor Besa / The National
Although its residencies are viewed as temporary, some foreign families have lived there for generations. Victor Besa / The National
Shopkeeper Mohammed Ahmed. Victor Besa / The National
The Al Gafri brothers, (left to right) Abdulla, 26; Yassin, 30; Ali, 23 and Elias, 29. Victor Besa / The National
