With the expanded Corniche almost completed, National Day forty years ago was the scene of a splendid parade to mark the country’s birthday.
Among those taking part were members of the armed forces in coloured tracksuits that recreated a marching version of the UAE flag. And there were floats, like this one which recreated the Maqta Bridge, complete with miniature cars and a boat passing underneath. The bridge was constructed in 1967, with a second span added several years later.
It replaced a narrow stone causeway which had been the only access to the island of Abu Dhabi from around 1950 without getting your feet wet. The writing on the float commemorates the achievements of Sheikh Zayed, the first President of the UAE, and the Umm an Nar, which probably refers to the transformation of the island of that name with desalination plants and oil refineries and which began in 1974 with the dredging of a deeper channel and a bridge connecting to the mainland.
* James Langton
