The Clock Tower has stood at the crossroads of Deira and Bur Dubai since 1963. Jeff Topping / The National
The Clock Tower has stood at the crossroads of Deira and Bur Dubai since 1963. Jeff Topping / The National
The Clock Tower has stood at the crossroads of Deira and Bur Dubai since 1963. Jeff Topping / The National
The Clock Tower has stood at the crossroads of Deira and Bur Dubai since 1963. Jeff Topping / The National

Dubai's modernist landmarks of the 1970s and 80s to be preserved


Sarwat Nasir
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A new project will document and preserve modernist structures that were built in Dubai's economic boom of the 1970s and 1980s.

From brutalist facades to the Arab world's unique take on modernist architecture, the arrival of tower blocks and public monuments marked the transformation from a pearl diving town to a global trade hub.

Deira Clock Tower and Dubai World Trade Centre were the first to be added to the list, Dubai Municipality said on Sunday.

Officials will look at how the buildings are maintained and be made to last.

It's part of understanding what the place grew from. People nowadays often get too carried with these wonderful new buildings

“Preserving our urban heritage and culture that we have inherited through generations, and the intellectual and creative legacy it has presented to us, is an historic responsibility that we will carry today and our children and grandchildren in future,” said Dawoud Al Hajri, director general of the municipality.

“Modernity is only complete by absorbing history, learning from its lessons, and celebrating what it has given us as evidence that conveys to us a picture of the past that our forefathers and grandfathers lived and how they made the first beginnings of our modern renaissance.”

Deira Clock Tower was among the first, built in 1963. Historians said the structure - on a busy roundabout - was gifted to Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed, then the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to mark the country's first oil exports.

British author David Heard, who has lived in the UAE since 1963, said the discovery of oil and the decision to become a free trade port hub marked the start of huge economic growth.

"When the first oil export from the country happened, Dubai was a very different place and that's when the Clock Tower was built," he told The National.

“As you came into Dubai from almost any direction, the Clock Tower was the first landmark you’d see, along with the Creek and Maktoum Bridge.

"The Clock Tower was essential to orientate yourself and say ‘that way is Sharjah and that way is the Bustan Hotel."

Mr Heard, who wrote From Pearls to Oil: How the Oil Industry Came to the United Arab Emirates, recalled the construction of the Trade Centre and its opening by Queen Elizabeth in 1979.

At 149-metres tall it was the tallest structure in the Arab world until Burj Al Arab opened in 1999. Today, the building houses offices and is linked to a much larger modern exhibition complex.

“The building stood alone. It was a very tall and you’d be able to spot it easily,” Mr Heard said.

“These landmarks may have little commercial value and some people might want to knock them down and put up something grander, but if you do that, then you are destroying memories and history that go back a long time," he said.

"It’s part of understanding what the place grew from. It’s absolutely essential to keep certain landmarks so people are reminded of the old days. People, nowadays, often get too carried with these wonderful new buildings.”

The municipality said it was in talks with Unesco about future entries to the sought-after World Heritage List, which recognises buildings and places with 'outstanding universal value'.

The UAE has submitted entries for consideration in the past, including Dubai Creek, Abu Dhabi Sabkha, Al Bidya Mosque, Sir Bu Nair Island and the Ed-Dur Site.

At present, the country's sole Unesco World Heritage site is the oases of Al Ain.

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British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
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COMPANY PROFILE

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Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi

From: Dara

To: Team@

Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT

Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East

Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.

Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.

I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.

This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.

It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.

Uber on,

Dara

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Friday Leganes v Alaves, 10.15pm; Valencia v Las Palmas, 12.15am

Saturday Celta Vigo v Real Sociedad, 8.15pm; Girona v Atletico Madrid, 10.15pm; Sevilla v Espanyol, 12.15am

Sunday Athletic Bilbao v Getafe, 8.15am; Barcelona v Real Betis, 10.15pm; Deportivo v Real Madrid, 12.15am

Monday Levante v Villarreal, 10.15pm; Malaga v Eibar, midnight

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