The skyline selfie, the desert jump and the inflatable flamingo in an infinity pool – everyone in the UAE with an Instagram account is guilty of it, and who can blame us?
With its world-renowned skylines, perfectly manicured beaches and a literal giant frame, the UAE was made to be photographed, but it’s the unexplored corners of the Emirates that hold the most charm.
In our new series of guides to the UAE's hidden gems, we speak to the experts – the tour guides, the foodies, the culture fiends and the nature-lovers – to find out where they spend their free time.
For our second instalment, we’re grabbing our cameras and going off the beaten track with the UAE’s most talented photographers, exploring every nook and cranny to scope out the country’s most photogenic spots.
Dubai's cityscapes and Fujairah's valleys
Self-taught photographer Kareem Mazhar has lived in Dubai for seven years and has spent a good chunk of that time exploring the UAE’s lesser-known spaces with his camera.
“The UAE has everything you can ever want in a picture,” says Mazhar, 35, whose Instagram handle is @keeksawy.
“There’s nature, mountains, desert, futuristic cityscapes and every year there’s a new spot to explore – that’s what makes it so special.
“I hike with my camera and I’m pretty sure that every single sunrise is different, every single day is different; I’ve been to the same spots twice and had totally different encounters each time.”
One spot where Mazhar feels most at peace is Wadi Abadilah in Fujairah, which runs north-east towards the coast of Dibba.
“People usually go to hike mountains, but this is an actual valley,” he explains.
“If you go after it’s rained, you’re going to find cold pools of water with very tiny frogs inside – in the middle of the desert – it’s fascinating.
“You’ll also find beautiful red dragonflies that I haven’t seen anywhere else in the world but here. If you’re not scared of insects, they are incredible to photograph.
“I love exploring and if there’s a hard trail that not a lot of people will take, then I will take it because I enjoy finding and seeing stuff that people haven’t seen before.
“Anything that relates to earth draws me in, right down to the tiniest flower growing between two rocks, because they’re so unique.”
Back in the city, Mazhar has a sneaky suggestion for getting the most incredible cityscape images of the Dubai skyline.
“At Central Park Towers, there’s a balcony accessible to the public if you arrange it in advance,” he reveals.
“If you go during sunset, you get an amazing reflection of the sun on the Burj Khalifa with really cool colours in the background – it’s sort of like an insider secret.”
Down the road in Dubai Design District is what Mazhar calls a portrait photographer's “dream”.
“If you walk in between the buildings, there’s some incredible coloured walls that you can use as a background,” he says.
“D3 Playground has a really colourful basketball court and nearby is a vibrant climbing wall where you can get a range of backgrounds in the same shoot.”
Mazhar refers to his final destination as a “forgotten gem”, as opposed to a secret one, though his stunning shots from Al Qudra Lakes are impossible not to remember.
“If you’re looking for a background of a lake with trees and an abundance of sand dunes, then this is your spot,” he says. “There won’t be anyone else in sight if you go there for a sunrise shoot.
“This is one of my personal favourites. It’s not far, it’s easy to reach and you don’t need a 4x4 to get there.”
Sharjah's ghost town and Abu Dhabi's fossil dunes
Fellow photographer Mohammad Azizi, 23, has 41,000 followers on his photography Instagram account @alphaspotting.
He has lived in Dubai all his life and says most of the UAE’s most photogenic shots are hidden in the desert.
“The tree road on Al Qudra cycle track is literally a road that has been built to accommodate a huge tree in the desert,” he says.
“It’s a very unique Dubai location and I don’t think there’s anything else like that in the world.”
Out in Sharjah, Azizi’s favourite spot is Al Madam abandoned village, also known as the Ghost Town.
“Again, I think it’s something that’s totally unique to the UAE,” says Azizi. “You’re not going to see this anywhere else on the planet.
“I love it there. You feel like you could be Lawrence of Arabia or on the set of an apocalyptic film.
“It’s an eerie feeling, but in a good way and if you go for sunrise, the sounds of the desert winds are all you’ll hear for miles.”
Lastly, Azizi recommends aspiring photographers head to Al Wathba Fossil Dunes in Abu Dhabi.
“I would describe The Fossil Rocks as an alien land,” he smiles. “If you click the picture at the right angle and edit it right, you could be on Mars. It’s completely fascinating.”
House of Wisdom and Mosque of Light
Altamash Javed, who has 78,000 Instagram followers at @aljvd, was also raised in Dubai, and believes that nowhere quite compares to Sharjah for capturing the UAE’s rich culture.
“One of the latest places in the UAE that I have absolutely fallen in love with is Al Suhub Rest House in Khor Fakkan,” says the photographer, 36.
“Perched on top of Khor Fakkan’s highest viewpoint, you not only get great views but there’s also a restaurant up there.
“I would highly recommend going up for sunset, the views are just incredible.”
While in the area, Javed recommends stopping off at the House of Wisdom in the Al Juraina 1 neighbourhood, a landmark that was also recommended by tour guide Nada Badran in our last hidden gems guide.
“As a photographer, it's a dream to shoot as I love architecture,” he says.
“You must take a walk around the building to really appreciate it, especially The Scroll monument, which has what seems like infinite shooting angles.”
Finally, Javed recommends heading to Mohamed Abdulkhaliq Gargash Masjid, better known as Mosque of Light, in Dubai’s Al Quoz, which was designed by Dabbagh Architects.
“It is surrounded by a tonne of warehouses, making the mosque really stand out,” he explains.
“You feel a sense of calm and tranquillity there despite being in one of the busiest parts of the city.
“It’s incredible, but I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.”
Top 10 secret UAE spots for photographers at a glance:
- Wadi Abadilah, Fujairah
- Central Park Towers balcony, Dubai
- Dubai Design District, Dubai
- Al Qudra Lakes, Dubai
- Al Madam abandoned village, Sharjah
- Al Wathba Fossil Dunes, Abu Dhabi
- Al Suhub Rest House, Sharjah
- House of Wisdom, Sharjah
- The Scroll monument, Sharjah
- Mosque of Light, Dubai
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Day 2, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Pakistan’s effort in the field had hints of shambles about it. The wheels were officially off when Wahab Riaz lost his run up and aborted the delivery four times in a row. He re-measured his run, jogged in for two practice goes. Then, when he was finally ready to go, he bailed out again. It was a total cringefest.
Stat of the day – 139.5 Yasir Shah has bowled 139.5 overs in three innings so far in this Test series. Judged by his returns, the workload has not withered him. He has 14 wickets so far, and became history’s first spinner to take five-wickets in an innings in five consecutive Tests. Not bad for someone whose fitness was in question before the series.
The verdict Stranger things have happened, but it is going to take something extraordinary for Pakistan to keep their undefeated record in Test series in the UAE in tact from this position. At least Shan Masood and Sami Aslam have made a positive start to the salvage effort.
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THE SPECS
Aston Martin Rapide AMR
Engine: 6.0-litre V12
Transmission: Touchtronic III eight-speed automatic
Power: 595bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh999,563
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
Formula One top 10 drivers' standings after Japan
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 306
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 234
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 192
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 148
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 111
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 82
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 65
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 48
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 34
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Korean Film Festival 2019 line-up
Innocent Witness, June 26 at 7pm
On Your Wedding Day, June 27 at 7pm
The Great Battle, June 27 at 9pm
The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion, June 28 at 4pm
Romang, June 28 at 6pm
Mal Mo E: The Secret Mission, June 28 at 8pm
Underdog, June 29 at 2pm
Nearby Sky, June 29 at 4pm
A Resistance, June 29 at 6pm
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More coverage from the Future Forum
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Three trading apps to try
Sharad Nair recommends three investment apps for UAE residents:
- For beginners or people who want to start investing with limited capital, Mr Nair suggests eToro. “The low fees and low minimum balance requirements make the platform more accessible,” he says. “The user interface is straightforward to understand and operate, while its social element may help ease beginners into the idea of investing money by looking to a virtual community.”
- If you’re an experienced investor, and have $10,000 or more to invest, consider Saxo Bank. “Saxo Bank offers a more comprehensive trading platform with advanced features and insight for more experienced users. It offers a more personalised approach to opening and operating an account on their platform,” he says.
- Finally, StashAway could work for those who want a hands-off approach to their investing. “It removes one of the biggest challenges for novice traders: picking the securities in their portfolio,” Mr Nair says. “A goal-based approach or view towards investing can help motivate residents who may usually shy away from investment platforms.”
Scoreline
Al Wasl 1 (Caio Canedo 90 1')
Al Ain 2 (Ismail Ahmed 3', Marcus Berg 50')
Red cards: Ismail Ahmed (Al Ain) 77'
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
