The great outdoors

From boat races to picnics in the park - there were plenty of opportunities for families to get together.

The parks were not just places to walk and relax but were home to all sorts of attractions, like this mechanical fairground ride. Courtesy Al Ittihad

‘During my early childhood years, my father used to take us to Abu Dhabi Corniche to watch the boat races. We would go from the morning to the sunset, sit at the beach with our drinks and food, have lunch, chat together and play on the sand.”

Fatima Mohammad, 49, a housewife from Abu Dhabi, says that she still remembers in detail those weekends she spent with her family in the early 1970s. Her father used to participate in the boat races so the family would go to Abu Dhabi Corniche to support him.

“Whenever there was a race, we sat at the beach and cheered for him. They were very exciting times for us,” she says with a smile. “It was a happy moment, the moment we see the ice cream sellers walking by. We would run and get a quarter-dirham ice cream. It tasted really good.”

She says the family also attended camel races and cheered for the winners. They would also spend the summer in Al Ain, visiting her aunt’s farm in Al Faraa and swimming in her swimming pool.

Palestinian and Jordanian residents used to organise events and activities in Abu Dhabi in the 1970s, performing traditional dancing, national songs and plays. “My father used to gather the family and take us all to attend them. We would sit together and enjoy their performance indoors or outdoors.”

Khalid Abdulrahman, 35, a senior business development manager for Abu Dhabi, says that when he was a child, his family used to spend weekends together in parks or restaurants.

One restaurant he will always remember is Al Safina (The Ship), on the Corniche. “It has always been special to me. It’s designed to take the shape of a ship. Our father used to take us for lunch on Fridays. It was like a family ritual, as all family members would gather, enjoy food and spend time together,” he says. “At that time, the Volcano Fountain was still there. It was one of the scenic landmarks of the capital.”

Abdulrahman remembers getting his first kite at Al Matar Park, where they were sold in different colours and shapes. “My first kite was yellow and black. I would never forget it. I felt very happy when my father got it for me. We were just kids. We played and had a lot of fun. I always looked forward to these gatherings,” he says.

Amal Al Mehairi, 38, a housewife from Abu Dhabi, says her family would usually spend their weekend on Al Taweelah Island, where they would swim, relax and play on the beach. “We had a small caravan house that would fit all the family members, 10 of us,” she says. “Not like the big houses and villas we see on the islands nowadays. It was much simpler back then.”

“Life was simple when we were kids,” agrees Essa Almazrouei, 23, a transportation engineering student from Abu Dhabi, saying that the 1990s hold his precious childhood memories. “We used to play football on the streets and know everyone in the area.”

Almazrouei used to go with his friends to the Heritage Club in Abu Dhabi to learn swimming and shooting, to ride horses and participate in other activities. “During the weekends, the club used to organise trips to Al Samaliya Island,” he says, “where my friends and I would swim and dive and participate in games and competitions.”

Hamda Saif, 25, a business administration graduate from Abu Dhabi, smiles when she remembers the weekends she would spend with her extended family. Her grandfather used to gather them and take them on picnics, each time to a different place.

“Our grandfather used to take the whole family in his 4x4 GMC car, with my aunts, uncles and cousins, to different places every weekend, including Al Khalidiya and Al Matar parks, Al Dhafra restaurant on Abu Dhabi Corniche, where we had fun and spent time together.”

There are little details that Saif will always remember. “One thing I won’t forget at Al Matar is the pineapple slide, a slide that had a big pineapple built over it. We had a lot of fun playing these games,” she says.

Sometimes when they were not allowed to go out, Saif and her cousins would play in their neighbourhoods in Al Muroor, something that doesn’t happen these days. They would also take their bicycles to the Corniche, play and have ice cream together.

People would also attend music concerts whenever a performer came to town. Abu Abdullah, 52, from Abu Dhabi, says that one of the most memorable moments in the 1970s was when the great Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum came to Abu Dhabi.

“I still remember when she came to Abu Dhabi in 1971. I was around 12 years old. I went with my friend Musabah to attend the concert at the area of Al Ahli Club, which has merged with another club to become Al Wahda Club. She had a distinguished voice that made her the most popular singer in the Arab world.”

He says that he used to spend his free time cruising the streets of Abu Dhabi with his friends, drifting and drag racing. Sometimes he would go with his family to their farm in Al Gharbia to spend the weekend.

After he got married and had a family of two boys and three girls, he would take them for picnics on the Corniche or to Al Raha beach, where they would swim and spend the day together.