With conflict and turmoil in the region showing no signs of abating, it’s natural for people to have a nostalgic yearning for a more peaceful and prosperous time. This helps explain why many Egyptians have spent the past few days reminiscing on social media about life under King Farouk, Egypt’s last monarch, using an Arabic hashtag that translates to “Tweet as if you’re in the 1950s”.
For the tweeters, who have also posted period pictures, the 1950s are synonymous with glamour, high class living, religious tolerance and a vibrant, open society. Similar nostalgic feelings are prevalent among those Iraqis who hark back to a partly imagined “golden age” of the monarchy – the reigns of King Faisal I and II – characterised by prosperity from high oil revenues and rapid industrialisation. Historical accounts of the period suggest it was a cultured, outward-facing country, self-confident about its place in the world, less crowded than Cairo, more cosmopolitan than Damascus and Baghdad.
Yet the reality was different for many ordinary Iraqis. As our columnist Faisal Al Yafai noted in July last year, the wealth of Iraq remained confined within an elite circle while many other Iraqis lived in modest circumstances. Similarly, Egyptians who fondly remember the Farouk era forget the hardships that many people had to endure. In many ways, the inequities that led to the Arab Spring had their roots in the decades after the 1950s.
Today, Egypt looks towards an evolution: reviving the economy with appropriate support for the poor, an increase in spending on education, an increase in public health and creation of jobs. The glory days of Cairo must be ahead of it, not behind it.
Reminiscing is natural. But both Egypt and Iraq have a much brighter future than any period of their past. It just hasn’t been built yet.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Five hymns the crowds can join in
Papal Mass will begin at 10.30am at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Tuesday
Some 17 hymns will be sung by a 120-strong UAE choir
Five hymns will be rehearsed with crowds on Tuesday morning before the Pope arrives at stadium
‘Christ be our Light’ as the entrance song
‘All that I am’ for the offertory or during the symbolic offering of gifts at the altar
‘Make me a Channel of your Peace’ and ‘Soul of my Saviour’ for the communion
‘Tell out my Soul’ as the final hymn after the blessings from the Pope
The choir will also sing the hymn ‘Legions of Heaven’ in Arabic as ‘Assakiroo Sama’
There are 15 Arabic speakers from Syria, Lebanon and Jordan in the choir that comprises residents from the Philippines, India, France, Italy, America, Netherlands, Armenia and Indonesia
The choir will be accompanied by a brass ensemble and an organ
They will practice for the first time at the stadium on the eve of the public mass on Monday evening
Take Me Apart
Kelela
(Warp)
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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