When Abu Dhabi was still a desert, the Tourist Club was a haven to many of its residents. It was a place of refuge, entertainment, recreation and friendship.
Aisha Al Nahdi from Abu Dhabi recalls vividly the first time she ever skated at the Abu Dhabi Tourist Club rink.
“I was 17 years old and in the early stage of pregnancy with my first child when I went skating,” laughs the mother of five.
Considering the cultural aspect of the UAE, even in those days, the country ensured women had some privacy while entertaining themselves.
“There was a female-only day for skating, which was a blessing. No-man ambience was an opportunity for us to take off our headscarves and enjoy skating to the fullest,” says Al Nahdi, now 42.
The notion that some people have about Arab women being cloistered in the past with no taste of fun in their lives is just a misconception. “In my teenage years, although married, I had so much fun,” she says.
Al Nahdi went to Germany for her husband’s training courses in 1990. “When I came back home, I was surprised to see the enormous changes my country underwent.”
In her one-year absence, she continues, the Tourist Club expanded and got a little embellished with additional spaces.
Located at the eastern end of the Corniche, the Tourist Club area was the centre of entertainment 30 years ago, when Abu Dhabi was still blossoming. The streets were composed of roundabouts with no traffic lights and there were fewer buildings.
The Tourist Club was a prominent hub for people from different backgrounds. Many families spent their weekend in that particular spot, as there were no common fun or community zones to be found in Abu Dhabi.
Mohammed Jamal Kakkeri, a frequent traveller and now a successful businessman, was 18 years old when he moved to the UAE from Kerala.
Kakkeri had the strong desire to visit the rink and bowling areas but “I deprived myself from going to save my money. I had to be meticulous when spending in those days,” he says.
The Tourist Club area was more of an Arab and Asian place than Indian, he says.
Regardless, he reminisces, the place brings back so many happy memories.
One of those was seeing Sheikh Zayed from afar. One day there was a huge crowd in the Tourist Club area, he recalls. Helicopters and fancy cars could be seen. Kakkeri was intrigued to know what was happening. Sheikh Zayed would be passing through this area shortly, he was told.
“Coming from a developing place like Kerala, I was fascinated by the lavish scene. Most importantly, my friends were honoured when his Highness, may God have mercy on his soul, waved in our direction. In our country, we don’t even get a glimpse of our government,” he says.
Another time, he remembers, palm trees in the Tourist Club were decorated with neon lamps for National Day. “I had never seen such preparations in my country, so such a sight for the first time was a source of great happiness for people like me,” he says.
Kakkeri has long been travelling to multiple countries for business purposes. He says: “At every stop, I would ask the citizens about their government, out of curiosity. At times, people gave me negative views on their government.
“Not even once in my lifetime,” he continues, “have I heard anyone saying or whispering anything unpleasant about Sheikh Zayed. Walking down the street, you only hear prayers and praise for that leader.”
Occasional celebrations such as National Day and an opportunity to see the founder of the UAE in the Tourist Club were more valuable than going skating or bowling, says Kakkeri.
In the 1980s, Electra Electronic games, not far from the Tourist Club, was the only entertainment centre designed for children.
Maitha Al Ameri regularly visited Electra games in her childhood “as there was nothing else to do,” says the 25-year-old university graduate.
“My father used to take us to the Electra game centre. They didn’t have a large set of games, but nonetheless we were happy playing the same games.”
Even though the Tourist Club area has changed tremendously as infrastructure developed and contemporary buildings arose, one landmark has remained intact in that spot – the cedar fountain beside Le Méridien hotel.
“I have heard my family saying that the green fountain was a gift from the Lebanese embassy to the UAE Government. The fountain is still in its place because it would be inappropriate from our side to remove such a gift,” says Al Ameri.
The Tourist Club may no longer exist, but its importance in the lives of so many means it will never be forgotten.
