Photographs in Dialogue: UAE—1971—UK

On view at Etihad Museum (September 9 2020 - March 25 2021), 'Photographs in Dialogue UAE-1971 - UK' is a collaboration between the Etihad Museum, Dubai, and the National Portrait Gallery, London, with support from the British Council, DCMS and GREAT through the UK-Gulf Culture and Sport Programme. This exhibition traces the longstanding diplomatic relationship between the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates leading up to the moment of the UAE’s union in 1971.

The Signing of the Treaty of Friendship

On 2nd December 1971, at the Union House in Dubai – now part of the Etihad Museum complex – the United Arab Emirates came into being as a sovereign, independent federation. The role of the United Kingdom as external protector of what had been called the Trucial States had ended after more than 150 years, and Britain’s military presence and coordination of foreign policy in the region ceased. With the withdrawal of the British presence in the region, the United Arab Emirates signed a 'Treaty of Friendship' with the UK.

Negotiating the Transition

Some of these British officials came to be trusted advisors and friends of individual rulers, and several were involved in assisting with the transition from the Trucial States to the United Arab Emirates.

Courtesy of the New York University, Abu Dhabi
© Graham A. Hill papers, MC-052

Sir Geoffrey Arthur (1920–1984)
Political Resident in the Gulf 1970–1971In his role as the last Political Resident in the Gulf, he presided over the British military withdrawal and helped negotiate the new political settlement.Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, London

From 1968 until 1971, the rulers of the seven emirates and their senior officials were in close dialogue with British political leaders and diplomats planning a political transition.

On 2nd December 1971, the establishment of the United Arab Emirates was announced. Days after the union, the UAE became a member of the United Nations and the Arab League.

This display shows a series of photographs and letters related to a Portrait of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan by artist Michael Scott.

Portraits of Leaders in the TransitionAcross millennia of human history, traditions of portraiture, particularly of leaders, have evolved in various art forms. As the age of photography took hold after the mid-1800s, photographic portraiture became prolific.

On display here, for the first time ever, are four coloured transparencies of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum (1912-1990) taken by Rex Coleman in 1961 for Baron Studios, London.Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, London.

These vernacular photographs convey the spirit of friendship and enthusiastic mutual exploration across cultures. Photographs taken by British citizens in the UAE are brought into dialogue with those taken by Emirati citizens in the UK.

This interactive wall features these remarkable developments as captured through the lens of various eminent photographers of the time.

During the decades leading up to and following the establishment of the union, rapid changes of the nation-building era have been captured on maps, photographs and ephemera, as well as in memoirs and scholarship generated by participant observers.Map 1 (Right) :Julian Walker Collection, Middle East Centre, St Antony’s College, University of OxfordTrucial Coast Map (Left): Petroleum Development (Trucial Coast) Limited (PDTC)

Collections & Oral Histories
Emirati and British witnesses recorded many of the historic developments in photographs and publications. A rich body of literature and photography – both professional and vernacular – emerged during the post-1971 era, based largely on first-hand observation. Public and private archives preserve traces of this dynamic history.

The oral histories recorded provide first-hand accounts of what transpired based on the speakers’ memories of the events, as well as reflections and commentaries on the legacies of those events.

Thoawb and Kandurah worn by Dr. Frauke Heard-Bey in 1969 while attending the luncheon hosted by Queen Elizabeth II in honour of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan.Courtesy of Dr. Frauke Heard-Bey

In 2000, Queen Elizabeth II made David Heard Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in recognition of his contribution to the oil industry and the British community in Abu Dhabi. 
Courtesy of David Heard.

Many photographers and authors arrived to the region prior to the union of the emirates, and have established connections here ever since. Viewing this collective history through their photographs shows the parallel evolution of photography itself – from analogue black-and-white, sepia and colour, to a full range of digital photographs.

Through his iconic photographs, eminent Indian photographer Ramesh Shukla captured some of the defining moments of the journey of the seven Emirates towards the union, which have been published in a series of books.Courtesy of Ramesh Shukla.