From the UAE's cloud seeding efforts to an unseen side of Dubai, The Review's most-read articles of 2016 are a unique blend of history, heritage, nostalgia and science. Here are the top five:
Cloud seeding
In March, heavy rains lashed the UAE. Later, the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology confirmed that 77 cloud-seeding operations took place between January and the end of March – more than three times on the same period last year. Timely then, this long read from April on the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science which looked at efforts to boost rainfall.
The other side of Dubai
Jalal Abuthina has lived in Dubai since 1993 and has spent more than a decade taking photographs of old Dubai. Half-Libyan, half-Irish, Abuthina has compiled his photographs into three books – The Best of Dubai Shop Names; Dubai: Behind the Scenes; and Memories of Satwa. This story from January dives into his work.
Sha’bi housing
The UAE Pavilion at this year's Venice Biennale focused on the low-cost housing that transformed the lives of many Emiratis. This story from May looks at the late President Sheikh Zayed's initiative to build public housing, and the history and significance of these sha'bi houses – some of which are still used across the country today.
The closure of the Ramada Dubai
Old landmarks are constantly disappearing in Dubai, only to be replaced by new ones. This piece from August looks at the demolition of the Ramada Dubai, built in 1983, new plans for the site and the fate of the world's tallest stained-glass mural which resided in the hotel's atrium.
The UAE’s longest road
The E11 is a road that we've all travelled on. From Al Gharbia to RAK, it is a road that ties the country together. This story from September looks at why the road is the subject of a book and film project from a Dubai think tank and also explores the E11's historical and cultural significance,
John Dennehy is deputy editor of The Review.
