In the past few weeks, Timeframe has travelled to Sharjah, Fujairah and even Italy. Now, it is time to head for Umm Al Quwain.
The year is 1972 and photographer Alain Saint Hillaire captured this atmospheric image of two boys on a ramshackle pier in the emirate. They gaze into the murky water, with one pointing to something interesting spotted in the depths below.
Umm Al Quwain has a proud sea-faring tradition. In 1903, John Lorimer’s famous survey of the region identified the emirate as the major boat-building centre of the coast, even producing more vessels than Dubai and Sharjah.
Today, it retains the laid-back feel of a fishing village, and marine life is thriving: there are mangroves, natural habitats for turtles; and Al Sinniyah island, close to Umm al Quwain town, is home to the country’s largest Socotra cormorant colony, with about 15,000 pairs.
* John Dennehy
