Timeframe: Go fort and visit Qasr Al Hosn in 2018

A photograph from the John Vale archive, a Briton who worked in the Trucial States / UAE for the oil industry from the late 1950s Courtesy John Vale

Back in the 18th century Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa, of the Baniyas tribe from the inland Liwa Oasis, ordered that a watchtower be built to ward off intruders. You see, fresh water had been found on Abu Dhabi Island and it needed protection.

It wasn't long before a settlement began to grow around the watchtower and Abu Dhabi was born.

This photo of the now historic fort was taken in the 1950s, during the period when the Ruler’s fort was renovated and Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan added a decorative arch outside.

The archive image is a timely reminder of how far the capital has come, and in the same week that it was announced that the Qasr Al Hosn redevelopment is on track for its first visitors by year’s end – nearly three years after the last annual Qasr Al Hosn festival.

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