A treasure trove of archive documents that explore the people and events that helped shape the Arabian Gulf will be made available online this year.
They include maps, rarely seen before by the public, that helped to set out the borders of the UAE. They were drawn by the late Julian Walker, a British diplomat handed the challenge of defining the boundaries of the seven emirates.
The documents are part of the second phase of the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive ― a landmark digitisation project between the UAE and the UK ― that aims to shed light on the rich history of the Gulf. A vast collection of hundreds of thousands of files are expected to go live on the AGDA’s website later this year once they are catalogued, transcribed and translated into Arabic.
The new collection will include 150 years of UK diplomatic records covering Oman and Saudi Arabia; records from the country's air ministry and ministry of defence; and information on publicity campaigns run by the British in modern-day UAE.
“Phase two of the project is going to more than double the content,” Jeff James, chief executive of the UK’s National Archives, told The National. “It is big and we are still only scratching the surface of the content we have.”
About 500,000 images ― or individual archive files ― will be released in the second tranche and it is these hand-drawn maps that Mr James pinpoints as particularly intriguing and "visually impactful".
Walker travelled across the seven emirates in the 1950s as a junior diplomat. His task was to map the borders of what was then known as the Trucial States. His report was completed in 1960 and Walker returned in 1971 on the eve of British withdrawal from the Gulf to assist further ahead of the UAE's foundation that December.
'Jewel in the crown' of project
“From talking to colleagues at Kew [headquarters of the UK National Archives] and in the UAE, these Julian Walker maps are something we are particularly excited about,” Mr James said. “In some respects they are the jewel in the crown for the second phase.”
Other archives expected to be released include maps created between 1948 and 1960 showing boundary lines and frontier surveys between Abu Dhabi and Oman; diplomatic records from the 1840s up to 1990 covering the British withdrawal from the Gulf; and files outlining co-operation between the UK and Saudi Arabia on sport.
Further releases are anticipated from the UK's ministry of defence; colonial office; admiralty; air ministry; and details relating to the British efforts in the Gulf to promote its interests such as a film dating from the 1950s called These are the Trucial States.
“The plan is to upload these towards the end of 2023,” Mr James said. “And we are starting now to talk about the third phase and scope out what could go in that.”
Previous releases by the AGDA showed the huge changes taking place in the Gulf as the Trucial States became the UAE. They show Emirati leaders travelling the world and the major developments taking place in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the years before the formation of the UAE.
More information on when the files will go live is expected in the next few months but with their addition, AGDA has become a hugely valuable archive for researchers, students, officials and those simply curious about what shaped the past.
"It is a groundbreaking project,” Mr James said. “Two national archives coming together, working collaboratively, sharing content and putting that up there on a new platform.”
Dubai Creek through the years - in pictures
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The creek in Dubai circa 1937. Getty Images -
Boats on the Creek in Dubai, with the Customs House in the background, 1967. Getty Images -
A view across Dubai Creek in 1967. Getty Images -
Dubai Creek in 1964. Photo: Alamy -
Ships in 1967 unloading goods on the creek for the Customs Department in Dubai. Getty Images -
Dubai Creek, April 1968, taken from a Beaver flying to Sir Bani Yas Island. Photo: Nevile Ryton -
Dubai Creek in 1976. Photo: Wam / AFP -
The Carlton Hotel on the banks of the Creek in Dubai, circa 1978. The property was later rebuilt as the Carlton Tower Hotel. Getty Images -
The mouth of the Creek, circa 1978. Getty Images -
Dubai Creek in October, 1977. Getty Images -
The building on the right is the National Bank of Dubai. -
The National Bank of Dubai building on the edge of Dubai Creek. Photo: Al Ittihad -
Dhows on the Creek in the 1970s. Photo: Al Ittihad -
Racing driver Juan Manuel Fangio in Dubai on December 11, 1981. Getty Images -
An aerial view of the opening of the Dubai Creek Golf and Marina Yacht Club golf course on January 1, 1993 in Dubai. Getty Images -
The Creek in 1993. Alamy -
The Creek in 1996. Getty Images -
View of Bur Dubai and the Creek in 2015. Pawan Singh / The National -
Water taxis, known as abras, on Dubai Creek in 2019 take people from Bur Dubai to Deira and back again at sunset. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Al Seef waterfront dining destination opens on Dubai Creek in 2017. -
Dubai Creek from the Deira side of the city in 2015. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Traditional ferry boats, known as abras, cross the Creek that separates Bur Dubai from Deira on January 6, 2022. AFP -
A dhow crosses the Creek near the spice souq in 2022. Reem Mohammed / The National -
Dubai Creek in May 2022. Chris Whiteoak / The National
