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Al Mahatta Sharjah, highlights history of aviation in Gulf Region

SHARJAH, 25th October, 2019 — Sharjah Air Station ‘Al Mahatta Museum’ highlights the history of aviation in the UAE and the Gulf Region. The museum first opened its doors in 2000, and since then, it has been the repository of stories of the first plane to land on Sharjah, the development of Sharjah’s first airport since the 40s, and its influence on the economic, cultural and social life in the region.

The importance of ‘Al Mahatta’ as the representative of aviation history in Sharjah and UAE is undeniable. The museum features a collection of exhibits in the first airport headquarters and provides an opportunity for new generations to learn about the history of aviation in Sharjah.

The story of aviation in these parts began on 5th October, 1932, when the first plane landed at Sharjah airport at 4:00 pm. It came from Gwadar airport (now in Pakistan), on the way to Britain. The Imperial Airways aircraft, named ‘Hanno’, fueled up and left carrying passengers and mail from Sharjah, marking the first flight in the history of the country.

Since its inception, Sharjah’s first airport played a pivotal role in promoting the stature of Sharjah and the country even before the formation of the United Arab Emirates. The airport served as a strategic link between the East and the West, and as a bridge to other cultures and civilisations, offering a fast, easy and effective way to connect with other countries in the region and the world.

Sharjah’s strategic location contributed to mark a significant change in the international air routes. The Imperial Airways decided to shift their air routes from Persia and launch a new flight route through the Arabian Gulf region to their destinations in the Far East. The new route included Cairo, Basra, and Sharjah Air Station as main stopover airports.

Al Mahatta was strategically used as a link between Europe, Asia and Australia, offering effective communication channels with the Western countries in all cultural and commercial fields. The airport was also the base for military aircraft during the Second World War until the year 1971, when the last Hunters, British jet-powered fighters, left Sharjah.

The ‘Al Mahatta’ was distinguished from the region’s other airports by a fortified guesthouse for overnight stops and sleepover making it also the first hotel in the country. The airport’s amenities also include a meteorological centre, telegraph and postal services, control tower, fuel tanks, airport defence force and an aircraft landing field that developed into a runway. In the 1960s, the runway was converted into an asphalt street, now known as King Abdul Aziz Street.

The use of ‘Hanno’ aircraft was a quantum leap in the history of the civil aviation. The aircraft was characterised by its size and capability to fly long distances, a requirement for international flights between the UK, India and Australia through the Arabian Gulf region. That international air route comprised many refuelling stops at key airports such as Croydon in South London, Athens, Cairo, Baghdad, Basra, Sharjah and Karachi, apart from other airports in India and Australia.

The Al Mahatta airport also had the distinction of housing the first cinema in Sharjah which was inaugurated in the 1930s. Documentaries have been collected and maintained by Sharjah Museums Authority, detailing how the cinema industry was established and developed by the British Air Forces between 1949 and 1959. At that time, the cinema hall had been a square-shaped space with a medium-sized screen and seating area, where visitors used to watch silent films, mostly documentaries and comedies.

Most Powerful Arabs

UAE’s Arabianbusiness Magazine regularly publishes the list of the most Powerful Arabs in the Middle East. The current list is as under.

No 1 Most Powerful Arab 1# Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud
He is the Chairman, Kingdom Holding Saudi Arabia
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal With more than 40 investments in ten industrry and service sectors, he has been hard hit by the global financial crisis, resulting in a sharp drop in the share price of his Kingdom Holding Company (KHC), which is listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange. Nevertheless, due to his diverse scale of his globe-spanning investments, he still managed to top rich list in December last year, with a $17.08bn fortune.

Al-Waleed began his business career in 1979 upon graduation from Menlo College. Meru the \Pro Swimmer The Prince’s activities as an investor came to prominence when he bought a substantial tranche of shares in Citicorp in the 1990s when that firm was in difficulties. With an initial investment of $550 million ($2.98 a share after adjusting for stock splits, acquisitions and spin-offs, according to Bloomberg calculations) to bail out Citibank caused by underperforming American real estate loans and Latin American businesses, his holdings in Citigroup now comprise for about $1 billion. His investments in Citibank earned him the title of Saudi Warren Buffet. This title has come under shadow considering that many of his most prominent investments have performed quite poorly.

Although his stake in Citibank once accounted for approximately half of his wealth, by January 2009 this holding had lost nearly all of its value. At the end of 1990 he bought 4.9% of Citicorp’s existing common shares for $207m ($12.46 per share)—the most that he could without being legally obliged to declare his interest. In February 1991, as American troops stationed in Saudi Arabia were preparing for war with Iraq, the prince spent $590m buying new preferred shares, convertible into common shares at $16 each. This amounted to a further 10% of Citicorp and took his stake to 14.9%.[2] In January 2008, the Prince participated — together with the Singapore government investment coporation and other investors — in a $12.5 Billion capital raise, in an unsucessful effort to shore up Citi’s capital position, but the value of these shares continued to plunge

Mohammed Alabbar
Chairman, Emaar Properties, UAE
It’s been a difficult year for Emaar Properties; probably its toughest yet. Latest figures show that Emaar Properties declared a loss of AED1.77bn ($482m) during the fourth quarter of 2008. Revenue fell to AED3.50bn ($953m) from AED5.14bn ($1.4bn) in the fourth quarter of 2007. Nevertheless the developer still managed to report annual net operating profits of AED5.6bn ($1.519 bn).
But while the figures are heading south, Mohammed Alabbar’s own stock continues to steadily rise.

As Chairman of Emaar Properties, Alabbar has played a key role in the development of Dubai’s real estate sector. Emaar, a Public Joint Stock Company established in 1997, is listed on the Dubai Financial Market and is majority-owned by the Government of Dubai. Emaar Properties is the largest construction and development company in the UAE and has built over a thousand residential units and office complexes during the real estate boom in Dubai. Emaar is also responsible for the development of Burj Dubai, which is expected to be the tallest tower in the world on completion.

Under Alabbar, the Department of Economic Development has initiated public policies to strengthen trade and business in Dubai and establish greater transparency and openness.

Alabbar has also contributed to the growth in Dubai’s non-oil sector as Vice Chairman of Dubai Aluminium Company Ltd (DUBAL) from 1992 to 2003. From 1992 to 2002 he served as Vice Chairman of the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), developing Dubai into a regional hub for exhibitions and conferences.

Alabbar is also the chairman of Emcredit, the first independent credit information company in the UAE.

In 2007 Alabbar flew to North Korea to investigate investment opportunities there.

3# Muntadar Al Zaidi
Journalist Iraq
The world knew nothing about Al Zaidi until he attended a press conference in Baghdad, held by the outgoing US president George Bush. Before the world’s media, Al Zaidi hurled his shoes at the president, calling him a “dog”. He was acting, he said, for “widows and orphans and all those killed in Iraq”.

On November 16, 2007, al-Zaidi was kidnapped by unknown assailants in Baghdad. He was also previously twice arrested by the United States armed forces serving in Iraq. On December 14, 2008, al-Zaidi threw his shoes at then-US president George W. Bush during a Baghdad press conference. Al-Zaidi suffered injuries as he was taken into custody and allegations have been made that he was tortured during his initial detention.

On February 20, 2009, al-Zaidi received a short 90-minute trial by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq. On March 12, 2009, al-Zaidi was sentenced to three years in prison for assaulting a foreign head of state during an official visit. Al-Zaidi’s attorneys expect to appeal the sentence.

4# Dr Sulaiman Al Fahim CEO, Hydra Properties UAE
In August last year Dr Al Fahim became an overnight star after leading the Abu Dhabi takeover of Manchester City football club. The deal, worth a reported $400m, made the Emirati tycoon a household name in every continent.

Dr. Sulaiman Al-Fahim is also a Goodwill Ambassador of the Intergovernmental Institution for the use of Micro-algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition, IIMSAM, to help the organisation realise a world free of malnutrition and hunger by mainstreaming the use of Spirulina to eradicate malnutrition, achieve food security, and bridge the health divide with a special priority for the Developing and the Least Developed Countries.

Zayed Book Award honours Sultan Al-Qasimi as Cultural Personality of the Year

Abu Dhabi, 3rd March 2010 His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, was honoured today by the Zayed Book Award as the Cultural Personality of the year 2010 in its fourth edition.

The Award honours prominent figures for their unique contributions to the advancement of the Arab culture, and for works that portray tolerance and promote peaceful coexistence.

Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, honoured Sheikh Sultan in a glittering award-giving ceremony held at the Emirates Palace.

The accolade was in recognition of His Highness’s generous contributions in promoting the Arabic culture and nourishing the Arabic Literature in the the Arab World. Throughout three decades, Sheikh Sultan has formulated the cultural scheme of the Emirate of Sharjah driven by the fundamental role of culture in the development of the community, and ordered the establishment of several cultural institutions in view of fulfilling his vision. The massive cultural projects in the Emirate of Sharjah support conservation of cultural heritage and active interaction with other cultures. In addition, His Highness has written several books in history, social sciences and humanities.

The award-giving ceremony was attended by Sheikh Suktan bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH), HE Mohammed bin Dhaen Al Hamili, Minister of Energy, HE Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Owais, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, Mugheir Khamis Al Khaili, Director of Abu Dhabi Education Council and Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouie, Director of ADACH.

A galaxy of Sheikhs, Arab and foreign diplomats, intellectuals, writers, thinkers and artists were also present.

About Dr. Al Qasimi

Sheikh Sultan bin Mohamed Al-Qassimi III was born on 2 July 1939 in Sharjah. He is the Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates and current ruler of Sharjah. He is the third ruler of Sharjah to bear this name. He has ruled Sharjah since 1972, apart from a 6-day period in 1987 (17 June 1987 – 23 June 1987).

His most recent book, entitled “Sard Al That” سرد الذات, details the Sharjah Ruler’s life, from the 1940s to the 1970s. It documents historical events and provides information on major milestones in the emirate of Sharjah, the Persian Gulf and the Arab World including the spread of Arab nationalism, and the fast cultural and educational progress of the emirate. “In sharing my autobiography, I hope readers will get to relive my experiences vicariously, and know more about that historical period. The vast legacy of heritage and the people’s attachment to special landmarks like Sharjah Fort did not only help them define their personality but has given Sharjah a unique cultural identity,” remarked His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan on Sard Al That سرد الذات.

He has also written a book titled “The Myth of Arab Piracy in the Gulf” (1986) in which he argues that the East India Company was determined to increase its share of Persian Gulf trade by all possible means and principally by the accusation of piracy and the need to fight it. In his book, structured in five sections, the Persian Gulf in the eighteenth century, the accusations of ‘Piracy’ (1797-1806), the attack by the British on Rās al-Khaimah (1809), negotiations and treaty (1814) and the destruction of the Qawāsim (1819), Al-Qāssimī places emphasis on the machinations of Captain, rising to Brigadier General, John Malcolm envoy of the then Governor General of India 2nd Earl of Mornington and Captain David Seton the British Resident in Muscat and at one point discusses Malcolm’s proposal for a base in the Persian Gulf first raised in 1800 and then again in 1808.

Al-Qāssimī states that Malcolm based his argument to his superiors not only on the necessity of a base for trade purposes but also as a defensive measure to protect India against European that is French plans.

For the Centenary of World Scouting, and the Golden Jubilee of UAE Scout Movement, HRH wrote the book “The Genesis of the Scout Movement in Sharjah”, been himself a dedicated Scout as so a regular sponsor of groups and different gatherings and activities, (i.e. the 2008 International Gathering of Scouting and Humanitarian Actions[1]. In this book, as a conclusion he said: “(…) To the leaders of all Scout movements worldwide, who have kept their promise, we say: “You are doing one of the noblest and influential jobs by providing constructive education to young people”.