• 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

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Don't get fined

The UAE FTA requires following to be kept:

  • Records of all supplies and imports of goods and services
  • All tax invoices and tax credit notes
  • Alternative documents related to receiving goods or services
  • All tax invoices and tax credit notes
  • Alternative documents issued
  • Records of goods and services that have been disposed of or used for matters not related to business
The%20specs
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How tumultuous protests grew
  • A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
  • Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved 
  • Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
  • At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
  • Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars 
  • Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
  • An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital 
Five expert hiking tips
    Always check the weather forecast before setting off Make sure you have plenty of water Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon Wear appropriate clothing and footwear Take your litter home with you

At Eternity’s Gate

Director: Julian Schnabel

Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen

Three stars

The Transfiguration

Director: Michael O’Shea

Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine

Three stars

What can you do?

Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses

Seek professional advice from a legal expert

You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor

You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline

In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support

Play-off fixtures

Two-legged ties to be played November 9-11 and November 12-14

 

  • Northern Ireland v Switzerland
  • Croatia v Greece
  • Denmark v Ireland
  • Sweden v Italy
The Bio

Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride

She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.

Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years

Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves

She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in

Basquiat in Abu Dhabi

One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. 

The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier. 

It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.  

“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. 

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October

Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3ECompany%3A%20Zywa%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202021%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Nuha%20Hashem%20and%20Alok%20Kumar%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20UAE%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%3Cbr%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%243m%3Cbr%3ECompany%20valuation%3A%20%2430m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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

LIVING IN...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Bangladesh tour of Pakistan

January 24 – First T20, Lahore

January 25 – Second T20, Lahore

January 27 – Third T20, Lahore

February 7-11 – First Test, Rawalpindi

April 3 – One-off ODI, Karachi

April 5-9 – Second Test, Karachi

THE BIO

Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

Favourite book: Science and geology

Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.

Zodi%20%26%20Tehu%3A%20Princes%20Of%20The%20Desert
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEric%20Barbier%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYoussef%20Hajdi%2C%20Nadia%20Benzakour%2C%20Yasser%20Drief%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
​​​​​​​Penguin Press

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

Get Out

Director: Jordan Peele

Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford

Four stars

UAE players with central contracts

Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.

ESSENTIALS

The flights 
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes. 
Where to stay 
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.

Company profile

Name: Tharb

Started: December 2016

Founder: Eisa Alsubousi

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: Luxury leather goods

Initial investment: Dh150,000 from personal savings

 

Going grey? A stylist's advice

If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”

INFO

What: DP World Tour Championship
When: November 21-24
Where: Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae.

The Energy Research Centre

Founded 50 years ago as a nuclear research institute, scientists at the centre believed nuclear would be the “solution for everything”.
Although they still do, they discovered in 1955 that the Netherlands had a lot of natural gas. “We still had the idea that, by 2000, it would all be nuclear,” said Harm Jeeninga, director of business and programme development at the centre.
"In the 1990s, we found out about global warming so we focused on energy savings and tackling the greenhouse gas effect.”
The energy centre’s research focuses on biomass, energy efficiency, the environment, wind and solar, as well as energy engineering and socio-economic research.

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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Top Hundred overseas picks

London Spirit: Kieron Pollard, Riley Meredith 

Welsh Fire: Adam Zampa, David Miller, Naseem Shah 

Manchester Originals: Andre Russell, Wanindu Hasaranga, Sean Abbott

Northern Superchargers: Dwayne Bravo, Wahab Riaz

Oval Invincibles: Sunil Narine, Rilee Rossouw

Trent Rockets: Colin Munro

Birmingham Phoenix: Matthew Wade, Kane Richardson

Southern Brave: Quinton de Kock

Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha

Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar

Director: Neeraj Pandey

Rating: 2.5/5

The Details

Kabir Singh

Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series

Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga

Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa

Rating: 2.5/5 

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz S 450

Price, base / as tested Dh525,000 / Dh559,000

Engine: 3.0L V6 biturbo

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Power: 369hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 500Nm at 1,800rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 8.0L / 100km

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The biog

Name: Maitha Qambar

Age: 24

Emirate: Abu Dhabi

Education: Master’s Degree

Favourite hobby: Reading

She says: “Everyone has a purpose in life and everyone learns from their experiences”

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

Updated: December 12, 2022, 4:50 AM