To discover what the territories of Dubai and the Emirates were like and how life in the desert was before the age of oil, a fine source is Arabian Sands, travel diary of Sir Wilfred Patrick Thesiger, British explorer who was educated at the finest of schools, first Eton then Oxford, and who, animated by an extraordinary spirit of adventure, abandoned the comforts of Western life to explore the vastness of Arabia. In 1945, Thesiger began to explore the Desert of Rub' al-Khali, also known as The Empty Quarter, the second largest sand desert in the world, which covers the Southern part of the Arabian Peninsula, encountering groups of people who had never met a Westerner. His diary is a summary of his adventure through wondrous and dangerous places, where the risk of getting lost and losing his life were everyday concerns and where the only possible encounters were with various tribes who were at war with one another. Yet, despite the challenges and hardships, the writings of Thesiger also convey his notable fascination with the desert and its inhabitants with whom he shared his remarkable experience. And, of course, the Bedouins, Bedu in Arabic, a fierce and tenacious people, without whose help, as he is quick to point out in his introduction to the book, Thesiger could have never made it through his journey or lived the greatest five years of his life, are at the centre of this remarkable tale.
AYA, an Experience to Cross the Threshold of the Universe
An immersive experience to "touch" the natural beauty of a mysterious cosmos. This is AYA's promise, a gate that promises to open to an ancient future born light years away.
From Aesop to Ibn al-Muqaffa' the wonderful thousand-year history of animals in fairy tales: a story where metaphors and teachings are handed down through the centuries and different cultures around the world.
Matilda. The Musical, the award-winning musical from the Royal Shakespeare Company and inspired by the beloved book by the incomparable Roald Dahl is coming to Etihad Arena.