David Heard, the late petroleum engineer who spent six decades documenting the UAE's early development, was honoured with the Abu Dhabi Award on Wednesday. His wife, historian and author Frauke Heard Bey, accepted the award on his behalf at Qasr Al Hosn from UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Heard, who passed away on Friday, October 18, 2024, was buried in Wales, his birthplace. He was 85 at the time of his death.

Heard first arrived in the region in 1963, four years before the union of the Emirates. Though trained in physics and geography, he was turned into a petroleum engineer by the oil company and spent long periods working in Abu Dhabi and the desert. His colleagues described him as calm, steady and very committed to his work.

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In an exclusive conversation with Khaleej Times, Frauke said both she and her husband lived through the years leading up to the formation of the UAE. She arrived in 1967, also before the union. When asked to recall the day of the UAE's formation in 1971, she noted that she herself was in Yemen at the time on academic research but remembers the buildup clearly, including parade rehearsals and the sense of anticipation.

She explained that both she and David were historians in practice long before they became authors, observing changes around them and documenting what they witnessed. She also noted that the two of them may be the only couple in which both husband and wife have received the Abu Dhabi Award.

Under the patronage of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Abu Dhabi Awards honours inspiring individuals who have selflessly dedicated themselves to supporting others while contributing to the betterment of the UAE community. Open to people from all around the UAE, the Award invites members of the community to nominate those inspiring individuals regardless of their age, nationality, or occupation.

After retiring from industry work, Heard shifted his focus to research. He gained access to rare early concession documents held by foreign shareholders, including reports sent from Abu Dhabi to London starting in the 1930s. Over two decades, he analysed and organised thousands of pages of material, producing a multi-volume history that remains a core reference for students and scholars. The final volume was published one month before he died. He was still finalising its index in his last weeks.

During a tribute video shown at the ceremony, Frauke said the couple spent long hours working on the archive.“The work was hard and the hours were long, but it was a good life,” she said in the video. She added that David had intended to continue writing for as long as he could.

Coinciding with the UAE's Year of Community, this year's edition also marks 20 years since the award's inception in 2005. To date, 100 recipients from 18 nationalities have been honoured, including doctors, volunteers, athletes, environmental advocates, educators and more.

Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Cultural Advisor to the President, said in the ceremony video that Heard“was always keen to preserve the heritage of this country and the history of the region”.

Brad Bauer, associate academic librarian for archives at NYU Abu Dhabi, said Heard's collection is one of the most significant archival donations in the UAE.“He was likely the first person to access some of the British petroleum archives. The material he gathered is now used by students, scholars and anyone researching that period,” he said. The collection includes about 200 volumes and roughly 140 boxes of documents. It is still being processed and made publicly accessible.

Frauke, who also received the Abu Dhabi Award herself for her own published work on the UAE's political development, said the honour carries deep meaning.“It is wonderful to see how much the community appreciates what we tried to do,” she said.“We were privileged to witness these changes and to help others understand them.”

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