AW To le cat=\ Van through the sands / oftime TheNational uaeheritage National Day, December 2, 2009 A collection of articles, photographs and videos celebrating the ETT e meg Ba oleate te) ea United Arab EmiratesBorn on April T7, 2008, The National, one of the younger citizens of the UAE, is proud to be a part of the extraordinary story of a nation that has achieved so much in so litde time. As the English-language, daily newspaper ofrecord, we embrace the responsibility ofdocumenting for ourreaders and future generations the startling evolution of a country which is creatively outstripping its reliance on oil and whose influence on the world stage increases almost daily. However, we are also keenly aware of the need to record and conserve the nation’s other great natural resource ~ the rich cultural heritage that defines what it is to be an Emirati. This collection, distributed free with The National on National Day, December 2, 2009, is taken from our coverage of this important aspect of life inthe modern UAE. Hassan Fattah Editor, The National TheNationalIntroduction: From ancient to modern in living memory A month ago, Yas Island was the venue forthe Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix; earlier this year, the UAE capital was selected as the headquarters for the International Renewal Energy Agency, IRENA - two events that show how the United Arab Emirates is making its markon the world, as a showcase for technology and for much else besides. Yeta mere 38 years ago, when the federation of the UAE was created, the country had litde in the way of development, let alone technology. There were few schools and hospitals, no tarmac roads connecting its major cities and, in the more remote areas, camels and donkeys were still acommon mode oftransport. The dramatic changes the country has undergone since then are due to the visionary leadership of the country’s first President, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi in 1966, and then President on December 2, 1971, he was determined to ensure that the people ofthe UAE would enjoy the benefits ofdevelopment. He would not, however, have been able to convert his vision intoreality had itnot been the UAE’ sgood fortuneto finditself sitting on large reserves of oil and gas, which provided the revenues that permitted the growth totake place. In 1962, when the first oil exports left Abu Dhabi, the country had changed little forcenturies, except that pearling, the one industry that had provided both employment and income for