• A Handley Page HP42 aircraft at Sharjah Air Station in 1933, just a few months after the first landing. Photo: Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre for Gulf Studies - Al Darah
    A Handley Page HP42 aircraft at Sharjah Air Station in 1933, just a few months after the first landing. Photo: Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre for Gulf Studies - Al Darah
  • A windsock flying on top of the Sharjah Air Station control tower during the 1930s. Photo: Wing Commander H G L Allsop Collection © John Allsop / Sharjah Museums Authority
    A windsock flying on top of the Sharjah Air Station control tower during the 1930s. Photo: Wing Commander H G L Allsop Collection © John Allsop / Sharjah Museums Authority
  • Sharjah Air Station buildings in the 1930s. Photo: Wing Commander H G L Allsop Collection © John Allsop / Sharjah Museums Authority
    Sharjah Air Station buildings in the 1930s. Photo: Wing Commander H G L Allsop Collection © John Allsop / Sharjah Museums Authority
  • Guards at the air station. Photo: Wing Commander H G L Allsop Collection © John Allsop / Sharjah Museums Authority
    Guards at the air station. Photo: Wing Commander H G L Allsop Collection © John Allsop / Sharjah Museums Authority
  • The route between Britain and India, showing the stop at Sharjah. This image is taken from the Sharjah Air Station: The First Landing 90 Years Ago exhibition at Al Mahatta Museum. Courtesy: Sharjah Museums Authority.
    The route between Britain and India, showing the stop at Sharjah. This image is taken from the Sharjah Air Station: The First Landing 90 Years Ago exhibition at Al Mahatta Museum. Courtesy: Sharjah Museums Authority.
  • Workers refuel aircraft manually at Sharjah Air Station. Photo: Wing Commander H G L Allsop Collection © John Allsop / Sharjah Museums Authority
    Workers refuel aircraft manually at Sharjah Air Station. Photo: Wing Commander H G L Allsop Collection © John Allsop / Sharjah Museums Authority
  • A technical drawing of the Handley Page HP42, from the Sharjah Air Station: The First Landing 90 Years Ago exhibition.Photo: Sharjah Museums Authority
    A technical drawing of the Handley Page HP42, from the Sharjah Air Station: The First Landing 90 Years Ago exhibition.Photo: Sharjah Museums Authority
  • Manal Ataya, director general of the Sharjah Museums Authority opens the exhibition at Al Mahatta Museum. Photo: Sharjah Museums Authority
    Manal Ataya, director general of the Sharjah Museums Authority opens the exhibition at Al Mahatta Museum. Photo: Sharjah Museums Authority
  • The exhibition examines the significance of the first flight and the development of Sharjah as an air station. Photo: Sharjah Museums Authority
    The exhibition examines the significance of the first flight and the development of Sharjah as an air station. Photo: Sharjah Museums Authority
  • Sharjah Air Station became a base for the RAF until Britain left the Arabian Gulf in 1971. It still stands today as part of Al Mahatta Museum. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Sharjah Air Station became a base for the RAF until Britain left the Arabian Gulf in 1971. It still stands today as part of Al Mahatta Museum. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The day the first aircraft landed in Sharjah


John Dennehy
  • English
  • Arabic

It was late afternoon in Sharjah and the sun was setting slowly over the Gulf.

It seemed like any other day until a low hum was heard from the east. Then a flash of silver and the roar of four mighty propeller engines as the Imperial Airways plane came swooping in over the desert to land. Sharjah had joined the age of international aviation.

The Handley Page HP42 was the first commercial plane to touch down at Sharjah's new air station on October 5, 1932, as part of the new multiple-stop route between Britain and India that hugged the Arabian Gulf coast. These Imperial Airways routes were established in the early 20th century as a way of maintaining and improving links between Britain and the colonies as aircraft became more reliable and could travel farther.

Sharjah became a stop after Britain switched the route from the Iranian coast to the Gulf after a dispute over landing rights.

It was not the first plane to ever land in the region but was the first scheduled flight at what was effectively modern-day UAE's first airport. Nicknamed “Hanno”, the plane came from from Gwadar in modern-day Pakistan and travelled at about 160kph carrying four passengers and crew. Sheikh Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah, signed an agreement with Britain to establish the air station and he and his brothers along with a crowd of residents came to see the first plane land there, while the passengers were escorted to tents for the night as a guesthouse was still under construction.

“The tents … were carpeted and furnished and adequate ablution facilities were in evidence,” wrote Sheikh Sultan in his book Sharjah Air Station: Between East and West. “Also available was a variety of good quality food. The passengers all praised the high quality of service received.”

A rest from refuelling aircraft at Sharjah during the 1930s. Photo: Wing Commander H G L Allsop Collection © John Allsop / Sharjah Museums Authority
A rest from refuelling aircraft at Sharjah during the 1930s. Photo: Wing Commander H G L Allsop Collection © John Allsop / Sharjah Museums Authority

The flight from India to London including the stop at Sharjah then took about six days with a one-way fare costing about £95 ($106), nearly £5,000 ($5,600) in today’s money, according to Nicholas Stanley-Price, author of Imperial Outpost in the Gulf: The Airfield at Sharjah 1932 to 1952. The airlines carried passengers, mail and officials so it clearly was a rarefied world.

But what was it like to be a passenger? A unique account two years after the first aircraft landed provides a clue. ‘Imperial Journey,’ written by a ‘Mr Bunbury’ and published in the Royal Aero Club Gazette offers a glimpse inside this bygone world of aviation.

“She seats 24 passengers in two compartments, one forward of the wings and one aft. In the middle, there is a lavatory and steward’s kitchen and opposite, the baggage room,” Mr Bunbury wrote of life on board a Handley Page as it flew to Sharjah in 1934.

“A gangway as broad as that of a railway dining car runs down the centre and the seats are arranged just like a Pullman car [1930s era US railway carriage] in pairs with a slung table between.”

There were thought to be eight passengers and they enjoyed a meal and drinks before landing in Sharjah. Mr Bunbury complimented the facilities he found.

“Shajar [Sharjah] is a desolate spot in a desert about a mile from the small town of that name. The fort is a square concrete one with loopholed terrace all around and steel doors to the main gate complete with wireless masts, searchlights and an armed Arab guard with rifles supplied by us and belts filled with cartridges. Passengers are not allowed to go outside the compound,” he wrote.

“Inside the fort are rooms with electric lights and quite comfortable. I had a bath and shave and then took a walk around. The outward mail plane arrived after dark at a quarter to seven and about eight passengers joined us at drinks and dinner. Early bed and I slept well.”

He even found time to pet one of the baby gazelles that then roamed around the airfield.

A baby gazelle roams the air station at Sharjah. Their presence was commented on by passengers. Photo: Wing Commander H G L Allsop Collection © John Allsop / Sharjah Museums Authority
A baby gazelle roams the air station at Sharjah. Their presence was commented on by passengers. Photo: Wing Commander H G L Allsop Collection © John Allsop / Sharjah Museums Authority

"One allowed me to scratch her head and seemed to like it. They are evidently pets, most graceful little animals and I wish I could have brought a baby one back for Gill."

Most of the western-style food and drink served to passengers was imported from India, noted Mr Stanley-Price.

“Even during wartime, supplies were adequate (in contrast to the very limited food supplies available to Sharjah’s people),” he said.

“Raymond O’Shea arriving as the new superintendent in 1944 had for his first lunch: an hors d’oeuvre, soup, fish, chicken with beans and potatoes, a pudding, cheese and biscuits and coffee.”

Hanno, meanwhile, left Sharjah the following morning after the first flight but the significance was clear.

Sharjah’s air station went on to host a cinema, a hotel and became an important Royal Air Force base until Britain left the Gulf in 1971. The airport’s amenities would also encompass a meteorological centre and telegraph and postal services. It also served for a few years as the emirate’s main airport until it was replaced by today’s modern facility. Imperial Airways ultimately would become what we know today as British Airways but its legacy lives on.

The control tower and original Imperial Airways guesthouse are now part of the Al Mahatta Museum, which explores the rich history of aviation in the region, while King Abdul Aziz Street used to be the runway.

An exhibition dedicated to the first flight opened at Al Mahatta Museum on October 3. ‘Sharjah Air Station: The First Landing 90 years ago’ displays rare photographs, the approval agreement and video exploring the history of the flight.

“The exhibition is a great way to further appreciate the history of the first airport in the UAE and Sharjah emirate’s early realisation of the importance of cross-cultural dialogue and mobility by opening the first airport in the region,” said Manal Ataya, director general of Sharjah Museums Authority.

Sharjah Air Station: The First Landing 90 Years Ago runs at Al Mahatta Museum until September 3, 2023

About Krews

Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi

Based: Abu Dhabi

Founded: January 2019

Number of employees: 10

Sector: Technology/Social media 

Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support

 

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Sreesanth's India bowling career

Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40

ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55

T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12

LILO & STITCH

Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders

Director: Dean Fleischer Camp

Rating: 4.5/5

Dolittle

Director: Stephen Gaghan

Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen

One-and-a-half out of five stars

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Alnamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMicrofinance%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFamily%20offices%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
AL%20BOOM
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The Bio

Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village

What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft

Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans

Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is a black hole?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

match info

Southampton 2 (Ings 32' & pen 89') Tottenham Hotspur 5 (Son 45', 47', 64', & 73', Kane 82')

Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)

NYBL PROFILE

Company name: Nybl 

Date started: November 2018

Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence

Initial investment: $500,000

Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)

Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up 

'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'

Director:Michael Lehmann

Stars:Kristen Bell

Rating: 1/5

How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200

CREW
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Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series

All matches at the Harare Sports Club

  • 1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10
  • 2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
  • 3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
  • 4th ODI, Sunday, April 16

Squads:

  • UAE: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
  • Zimbabwe: Peter Moor (captain), Solomon Mire, Brian Chari, Regis Chakabva, Sean Williams, Timycen Maruma, Sikandar Raza, Donald Tiripano, Kyle Jarvis, Tendai Chatara, Chris Mpofu, Craig Ervine, Brandon Mavuta, Ainsley Ndlovu, Tony Munyonga, Elton Chigumbura
Race card

4pm Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m

4.35pm Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m

5.10pm Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m

5.45pm Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m

6.20pm Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m

6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m

7.30pm Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m

The National selections:

4pm Zabardast

4.35pm Ibn Malik

5.10pm Space Blues

5.45pm Kimbear

6.20pm Barney Roy

6.55pm Matterhorn

7.30pm Defoe

The specs

BMW M8 Competition Coupe

Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8

Power 625hp at 6,000rpm

Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm

Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto

Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec

Top speed 305kph

Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km

Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)

On sale Jan/Feb 2020
 

How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200

The Uefa Awards winners

Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)

Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League

Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)

Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)

Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona

ESSENTIALS

The flights 
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
 

The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.

How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

Low turnout
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.

Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.

"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."

India team for Sri Lanka series

Test squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubhman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharath (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Sourabh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.

T20 squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan

MATCH INFO

Inter Milan v Juventus
Saturday, 10.45pm (UAE)
Watch the match on BeIN Sports

Racecard

6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 1 (PA) $55,000 (Dirt) 1,900m  

6.35pm: Oud Metha Stakes Rated Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m  

7.10pm: Jumeirah Classic Listed (TB) $150,000 (Turf) 1,600m  

7.45pm: Firebreak Stakes Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m  

8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 2 (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,900m  

8.55pm: Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,900m  

9.30pm: Balanchine Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m   

Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site

The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

THE BIO

Bio Box

Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul

Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader

Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Favorite food: seafood

Favorite place to travel: Lebanon

Favorite movie: Braveheart

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Zakat definitions

Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.

Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.

Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.

Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.

Updated: December 12, 2022, 4:50 AM