On April 30, 2002, the city of Abu Dhabi received a unique gift that would become one of the capital’s most distinctive public landmarks. The Abu Dhabi Geneva Flower Clock was gifted by the Swiss city as a token of appreciation for the love and affection shown by UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Placed next to the Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort along the Corniche, the clock measures four metres wide and features a 113kg custom motor. It is a replica of the Geneva Flower Clock, unveiled in 1955 and made up of about 12,000 flowers and plants – symbolising centuries-old watchmaking as well as the love Swiss people have for flowers as decorative elements in their homes and gardens.
The Abu Dhabi Geneva Flower Clock is similarly adorned, with the initial landscaping maintained by the agriculture section of Abu Dhabi Municipality in co-operation with the City of Geneva’s Parks, Gardens and Environment Department. It featured fountains, plants, flowers and rocks with the letters “Abu Dhabi – Geneva” running under the hour and seconds hands.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, who was then the Ruler's Representative in the Western Region and chairman of Abu Dhabi Municipality and Town Planning, unveiled the clock along with Manuel Tornare, former mayor of Geneva.
Thanking Tornare for the gesture, Sheikh Al Hamed said it reflected the deep friendship between the peoples of the two countries.
“The clock is a gift from the city of Geneva to Sheikh Zayed for his very long friendship, and we created this project because we know how much he appreciates greenery,” Tornare said.
The Abu Dhabi Geneva Flower Clock has undergone several changes over the years, with rumours of its removal spreading in 2017. But it has stood the test of time, and was among 40 sites added to the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi's Modern Heritage Register in February.
The register, part of efforts to document and safeguard structures from Abu Dhabi’s formative decades, grants immediate protection to listed buildings and sites, prohibiting their demolition while prioritising their maintenance and rehabilitation.
When The National visited the site on February 20, repair work was under way, with scaffolding erected across the sloped face of the structure as crew carried out maintenance and restoration on the clock’s surface and decorative elements.
“By formally registering these pivotal sites, we reaffirm our commitment to the recognition, protection, preservation and celebration of the architectural and urban legacy that has shaped our communities,” said Saood Abdulaziz Al Hosani, undersecretary of DCT - Abu Dhabi.
