
Recognise This Dubai? Residents Recall 'Past Life', 1970S Neighbourhoods In Unseen Photos
In the foreword of the recently published book 'Spaces That Remain' – a collaboration between Emirati urban history expert, independent researcher, and author Rashed Almulla; and photographer Jalal Abuthina – Al Mawaly writes fondly about the strong sense of community that defined his neighbourhood and neighbours.
“I have glimpses of various moments that I am certain are from the life I lived,” said the filmmaker.
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“The evenings spent next door, with the neighbours' kids, playing Super Mario on what we actually called a "family" console. The exchanging of dishes prepared for Iftar during the holy month of Ramadan by many of the families...There was a community spirit that was intrinsically tied to the neighbourhood.”
Preserving old Dubai in picturesThe new book follows two exhibitions of the same name held in 2022 and 2023, curated by Almulla, first at The Mosque of Reflection (Abdulsalam Al Rafi Mosque) – now the sole remnant of the lost neighbourhood; and later at the multipurpose art space Bayt Al Mamzar.
Almulla shared:“After the second exhibition, Jalal and I started discussing turning his photos into a publication so that it could be a reference point for the city's history and its people.
The book documents the history of these neighbourhoods and surrounding spaces and buildings from the 1970s to 2020 through Almulla's research, anecdotes and photos from former residents, past and present maps and, most importantly, photographs taken by Abuthina, who visited the area monthly from 2006 until its demolition to pave the way for City Walk.
“We put a lot of effort into making the publication interactive and immersive,” said Almulla. He said that it includes inserts and merchandise for purchase, such as postcards, keychains and tote bags.
“It is our attempt to preserve the history of the city and the neighbourhoods that are gradually being replaced by Dubai's dynamic urban evolution.”
'Unseen Dubai'Almulla's chance visit to a used bookstore in New York in 2019 led to his collaboration with Abuthina for the project.
Almulla recalled,“I was browsing the Middle East section without much hope of finding anything. Then, I came across Jalal's photobook 'Unseen Dubai', and the cover immediately caught my attention. It showed two men leaving a mosque with the Burj Khalifa in the background. I bought it and brought it home to show my family. They identified one of the men as my grandfather. I found that absolutely fascinating.”
The discovery set in motion his quest to track down Abuthina and reconnect with his own childhood memories of the neighbourhood.
“That Mosque of Reflection still exists, and I remember visiting it with my grandfather for prayers,” Almulla said, adding:“I used to walk around the area with him after prayer, watching the daily life of the families and children playing football in the streets; it was such a lively neighbourhood.”
Almulla reflected on how the neighbourhood changed over the years until he left to study abroad and returned to find an entirely new urban landscape in its place.
“I managed to get in touch with a few former residents of the neighbourhood to confirm details like the names and physical aspects of the area. They were quite nostalgic and some of them also shared anecdotes that are included in the book.”
Nostalgia of the neighbourhoodsAbuthina said that he initially began capturing the nostalgia of the neighbourhoods' residents like Al Mawaly without a specific purpose in 2006, simply photographing communities in the city he was growing up in.
“But once I became aware that the area was slowly being demolished to make way for a new master development, it became a conscious effort to document it through photographs,” he said.
“I'd visit often and watch the neighbourhood shrink little by little, as houses were gradually marked by the municipality for demolition.”
The photographer described his collection of these neighbourhoods as a "pocket of time," filled with the sounds of footsteps heading to the small neighbourhood supermarket, the chatter of children gathering in the evenings for street games and the occasional pops of green from local shrubs offering respite on dusty streets, all set against the backdrop of Dubai's futuristic skyline. He captured these moments discreetly from his car, maintaining the essence of a community on the brink of change.
“They always felt like a place from another time, untouched, and that's where its charm lay,” he said.“It was predominantly occupied by members of the police and army. It had a distinct vibe.”
As Abuthina continued documenting the neighbourhood, residents gradually began moving out, relocated by the government to other areas.
Almulla noted that the residents they spoke to for the book still missed different aspects of their first home.
“They missed it but were grateful for the compensation and the new homes they received,” he said.“It's worth noting that time has passed for them, and they've since reconfigured their lifestyles.”
'Sonnet of a forgotten aeon'The book, which is available for purchase online, was published by Swalif Publishing House in collaboration with Mabnai, a Dubai-based non-governmental collective founded by Almulla. Mabnai focuses on documenting and discussing the growth of cities in the Gulf and the wider Middle East. The project was also supported by the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth's National Grant for Creativity.
Swalif founder Salem Al Suwaidi said that he decided to back the project because it aligned with the priority of creating accessible resources for future generations.“This is a book where one can sit, reflect, and experience lives, no matter how small the resource may seem,” he said.
“The book truly captures some strong imagery and does not shy away from imperfections. We have a diverse range of the most top-notch moments captured by Jalal, mixed in with mundane images of streets and screenshots of digital maps and renders. The beauty and wonder of the publication also comes from its first-person narrative and organic imagery,” he said.
Almulla echoed this sentiment, adding,“Every memory, every place, and every culture is important to document because they form the psychological connection we have to the land we live on. Preserving and cherishing these physical spaces is a key aspect of our well-being and quality of life.”
The creators of the book hope their publication inspires similar efforts to document and preserve fading neighbourhoods in the city, encouraging others to record their own histories.
Abuthina expressed gratitude for the opportunity to photograph the neighbourhood and be part of its history.
“A friend once described the area as 'a modern sonnet of a forgotten aeon in the heart of a futuristic desert.' That, to me, perfectly encapsulates our work and what we hope to pass on to others,” he said.

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