Volleyball in Abu Dhabi: 11 monochrome photos of farm workers playing a friendly match in the desert

The National's photographer Antonie Robertson stumbled across the impromptu contest

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  Farm workers and labourers from Pakistan and India play an informal game of volleyball on a desolate patch of sand next to the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid highway halfway between the Dubai and Abu Dhabi highway. All photos Antonie Robertson / The National

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  It was a gloomy day in Abu Dhabi

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  Photographer Antonie Robertson spotted them while on the way to Abu Dhabi

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  The men set up the game in Al Shahama

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  The men play barefoot

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  Shoes were left to one side

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  It was a friendly match between colleagues

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  The men kindly let Antonie Robertson take their photos while they played

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  Antonie Robertson shot the images in black and white

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  They found a spot by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid highway

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  It was an informal game

While driving down the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid highway on his way to downtown Abu Dhabi one gloomy day, The National's photographer Antonie Robertson spotted a group of farm workers and labourers, who hail from Pakistan and India, playing an impromptu game of volleyball on a desolate patch of desert in Shahama.

They had set up a pitch next to the road that takes drivers between the emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The men, who were playing with bare feet, although busy with the game, kindly allowed Robertson to take these monochrome shots of their friendly match.

Look through our gallery above to see more of the black and white images.

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