Ever Seen a Sandy Sky Like This??

Sand storms are pretty common in the Middle East where much of the land is arid desert. Strong gales blow sand / dust away.

These are the photos I took when I recently visited a friend who lives in Sharjah two days in a row.

Look at the sandy sky. You may think the temperature may be somewhat 'cooler' because it looks sort of 'cloudy'. Nah! It's deceptive, it's just as hot as it is with or without the sand in the air.

Notice the difference in visibility!

You definitely feel the blowing winds whist driving on the motorway so you'd better watch out. On a day like this, you see a lot of people on the streets covering their mouth and nose with a scarf.

Once you shift away from the central, commercial areas of the UAE, you'll notice many of residential areas are not paved just as in these photos. I wonder if it's because this is after all a country of desert, or the UAE is still being 'under construction'..?

Dinner at the Royal Stables of the Emir of Ajman, UAE

I was invited to attend a 3-day international conference on environmental issues that was organised by the Government of Ajman in late March. This conference was held every year or so, and there came a lot of participants and speakers invited from Europe, the States and other parts of the world.

Incidentally this time last year in Singapore I'd attended a reception held by the UAE Embassy over there for a trade delegation from Ajman. Some of the Ajman officials I had met in Singapore were now in charge of this conference.

Ajman is one of the 7 emirates that comprise the UAE, but it's the smallest by area size and has no major industry or commerce whatsoever. Ajman is pretty much a minor, sleepy emirate.

Despite this, invitation to the conference was generously extended to the families of those invited speakers and participants, so a delegation of some 60 foreign visitors was put up at Ajman's only 5-star hotel.

Welcome to the Royal Stables!

The presentations covered a number of topics and reports on city planning projects that were actually carried out in various cities across the globe. For the UAE, the challenge was how to balance the preservation of history and urban development for the future. Personally I found all those presentations quite interesting and informative and enjoyed them a lot.

At the end of the entire programmes, we were to attend a special dinner held at the Royal Stables of the Emir of Ajman. HH Sheikh Humaid had inaugurated the opening ceremony of the conference.

Outdoor Seating at the Royal Stables

The Stables were located in the middle of the desert, a good an-hour drive from the coastal areas of Ajman. Upon arriving we were given a quick tour of the entire Stables by the staff.

There were hundreds of medals and cups and all sorts of trophies along with countless paintings of horses. Horses as well as camels are undoubtedly a serious investment for the Arabs.

Dining tables were set right in the gardens. Many people believe the climate of the Arabian Gulf is intolerably harsh and hot throughout the year. It is true during the summer but now in March it's absolutely lovely, so the outdoor seating was an excellent idea.

The staff were seemingly all male, probably Indian or Pakistani. I bet most of the visitors and guests to the Stables are generally men, so this must be a venue for men's social gatherings.

Race Horse

The following day, we were taken to a dinner at a Middle Eastern restaurant in Dubai Mall. The restaurant was busy and seemed almost fully booked. The best tables on the balcony overlooking the Dubai Fountain show were specially reserved for us.

However, an Abu Dhabi Prince, Sheikh Ahmed had been killed in a glider crash in Morocco just a few days before. Consequently a three-day mourning period starting from this very day (!) was announced, during which entertainment of all forms in public was officially cancelled across the UAE. Sadly we had to go without the fountains and music despite the best view the organisers provided for us!