{"id":225649,"date":"2026-01-03T18:29:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T18:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/225649\/"},"modified":"2026-01-03T18:29:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T18:29:10","slug":"memories-of-the-uaes-formative-years-by-the-french-photographer-who-immortalised-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/225649\/","title":{"rendered":"Memories of the UAE’s formative years \u2013 by the French photographer who immortalised them"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Abu Dhabi<\/a>, French photographer Jack Burlot<\/a>, 78, stands inside the newly opened Zayed National Museum<\/a>, confronted with a past he did not expect would resonate so deeply. Seeing his photographs of UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan<\/a>, displayed within a national institution proved more powerful than anticipated.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had goosebumps,\u201d he tells The National. \u201cI was almost crying.\u201d<\/p>\n

The museum on Saadiyat Cultural District<\/a> traces the story of the UAE as both land and nation, drawing on artefacts contributed largely by Emirati families and local institutions. <\/p>\n

For Burlot, what matters most is not scale or spectacle, but intent. The experience also brought his personal journey with the UAE, and his connection to Sheikh Zayed, into sharper focus.<\/p>\n

He reflects on Sheikh Zayed\u2019s Bedouin heritage<\/a> and vision for the UAE, noting that while oil played a role in the nation\u2019s development, it was leadership that truly shaped its course. \u201cHe could see the future of his country,\u201d says Burlot.<\/p>\n

That clarity left a lasting impression. Burlot says leadership such as Sheikh Zayed\u2019s is rare, and the photographer often reflects on how different the world might be if more leaders shared that vision. Whenever he returns to Abu Dhabi, he visits Sheikh Zayed\u2019s resting place, something that’s become a personal ritual, not simply a symbolic gesture.<\/p>\n

Burlot’s relationship with the UAE began in 1974, when he arrived in Abu Dhabi at a moment when the city \u2013 and the country around it \u2013 was still taking shape. He did not come as a documentarian of history, but as a young photographer awaiting clearance to take up a role recording work in the oil sector.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started taking photographs in the street, just to have something to do,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

What he encountered quickly shifted his focus. The people he met were unlike anywhere else, he says. Their openness, rhythms of daily life and willingness to engage drew him in. Burlot spent long days observing the city, meeting people and photographing what unfolded naturally around him.<\/p>\n

In those early years, Burlot recalls curiosity rather than resistance. People were often unsure what a camera meant or what would become of the images. \u201cThey were surprised, but not afraid,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Language was a barrier. Most people did not speak English and Burlot did not speak Arabic. Yet he describes the atmosphere as calm and non-confrontational. Photography, he says, simply was not part of everyday experience yet, which allowed moments to exist without self-consciousness.<\/p>\n

Looking back, Burlot acknowledges how unusual some of those photographs now seem: fashion images made in public spaces; portraits captured without formal permission; scenes of daily life unfolding freely. He attributes the access he was given not to skill, but to circumstance. The society he encountered had not yet developed a relationship with the camera.<\/p>\n

As his time in Abu Dhabi continued, Burlot\u2019s work eventually brought him into contact with the country\u2019s leadership, including Sheikh Zayed. <\/p>\n

Back then, the photographer was a young man with long hair, well aware that he stood out. Sheikh Zayed, he says, found him amusing. Yet the absence of a shared culture did not prevent connection; Burlot describes a sense of immediate humanity, something he says he had not experienced with other heads of state.<\/p>\n

Over time, his relationship with the UAE deepened beyond professional work. The people he met became friends. He recalls time spent in the desert, cooking over open fires and talking late into the night. Those experiences remain among his most meaningful memories.<\/p>\n

Burlot says that as a photographer, he rarely thinks about legacy while working, but rather responds to what is in front of him. Only later does the meaning settle. Seeing his photographs now positioned as part of the country\u2019s collective memory has allowed him to confront that reality.<\/p>\n

Burlot is particularly struck by how the museum presents Sheikh Zayed\u2019s life, from his early years in the desert to the formation of the modern state. That journey invites more reflection than celebration. It asks visitors to consider how nations are built, and what responsibilities come with that inheritance.<\/p>\n

Today, Burlot sees a country transformed by technology, business and globalisation, but not disconnected from its roots. \u201cPeople still go to the desert,\u201d he says. \u201cThe approach is different, but the connection remains.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Burlot, the museum captures that continuity. It does not freeze the past, but situates it within a longer story. A quote attributed to Sheikh Zayed embedded within the museum \u2013 that a future cannot be understood without knowing the past \u2013 resonates deeply with him.<\/p>\n

For a photographer who arrived by chance and stayed through connection, the recognition feels complete. His work now sits not just in archives, but within the narrative of the country itself.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an honour to be part of that remembrance,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

if you go<\/p>\n

The flights<\/p>\n

Air Astana<\/a> flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The hotels<\/p>\n

Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty<\/a> cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana\u00a0the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana<\/a>\u00a0costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When to visit<\/p>\n

March-May and September-November<\/p>\n

Visas<\/p>\n

Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.<\/p>\n

RESULT<\/p>\n

Argentina 0 Croatia 3
Croatia:\u00a0Rebic\u00a0(53′),\u00a0Modric\u00a0(80′),\u00a0Rakitic\u00a0(90′ 1)<\/p>\n

A cheaper choice<\/p>\n

Vanuatu: $130,000<\/p>\n

Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.<\/p>\n

Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.<\/p>\n

Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.<\/p>\n

Benefits:\u00a0 No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.<\/p>\n

Most%20polluted%20cities%20in%20the%20Middle%20East<\/p>\n

%3Cp%3E1.%20Baghdad%2C%20Iraq%3Cbr%3E2.%20Manama%2C%20Bahrain%3Cbr%3E3.%20Dhahran%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E4.%20Kuwait%20City%2C%20Kuwait%3Cbr%3E5.%20Ras%20Al%20Khaimah%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E6.%20Ash%20Shihaniyah%2C%20Qatar%3Cbr%3E7.%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E8.%20Cairo%2C%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E9.%20Riyadh%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E10.%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%202022%20World%20Air%20Quality%20Report%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A<\/p>\n

MOST%20POLLUTED%20COUNTRIES%20IN%20THE%20WORLD<\/p>\n

%3Cp%3E1.%20Chad%3Cbr%3E2.%20Iraq%3Cbr%3E3.%20Pakistan%3Cbr%3E4.%20Bahrain%3Cbr%3E5.%20Bangladesh%3Cbr%3E6.%20Burkina%20Faso%3Cbr%3E7.%20Kuwait%3Cbr%3E8.%20India%3Cbr%3E9.%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E10.%20Tajikistan%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%202022%20World%20Air%20Quality%20Report%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A<\/p>\n

EPL’s youngest
\nEthan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
\nMax Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
\nJeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
\nHarvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
\nMatthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
\nFive healthy carbs and how to eat them<\/p>\n

Brown rice: consume an amount that fits in the palm of your hand<\/p>\n

Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli: consume raw or at low temperatures, and don\u2019t reheat \u00a0<\/p>\n

Oatmeal: look out for pure whole oat grains or kernels, which are locally grown and packaged; avoid those that have travelled from afar<\/p>\n

Fruit: a medium bowl a day and no more, and never fruit juices<\/p>\n

Lentils and lentil pasta: soak these well and cook them at a low temperature; refrain from eating highly processed pasta variants<\/p>\n

Courtesy Roma Megchiani, functional nutritionist at Dubai\u2019s 77 Veggie Boutique<\/p>\n

Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill<\/p>\n

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R\u2018n\u2019B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.<\/p>\n

Avatar: Fire and Ash<\/p>\n

Director: James Cameron<\/p>\n

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana<\/p>\n

Rating: 4.5\/5<\/p>\n

KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN MARITIME DISPUTE<\/p>\n

2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes\u00a0the Blue Line to act as the frontier.<\/p>\n

2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus<\/p>\n

2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ.\u00a0Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.<\/p>\n

2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France\u2019s Total, Italy\u2019s Eni and Russia\u2019s Novatek.<\/p>\n

2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.<\/p>\n

War<\/p>\n

Director: Siddharth Anand<\/p>\n

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor<\/p>\n

Rating: Two out of five stars\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘Gehraiyaan’<\/p>\n

Director:Shakun\u00a0Batra<\/p>\n

Stars:Deepika\u00a0Padukone,\u00a0Siddhant\u00a0Chaturvedi,\u00a0Ananya\u00a0Panday,\u00a0Dhairya\u00a0Karwa<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a04\/5<\/p>\n

COMPANY%20PROFILE<\/p>\n

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESmartCrowd%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiddiq%20Farid%20and%20Musfique%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%20%2F%20PropTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24650%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2035%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%20institutional%20investors%20and%20notable%20angel%20investors%20(500%20MENA%2C%20Shurooq%2C%20Mada%2C%20Seedstar%2C%20Tricap)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A<\/p>\n

Dubai World Cup nominations<\/p>\n

UAE: Thunder Snow\/Saeed bin Suroor (trainer), North America\/Satish Seemar, Drafted\/Doug Watson, New Trails\/Ahmad bin Harmash, Capezzano, Gronkowski, Axelrod, all trained by Salem bin Ghadayer<\/p>\n

USA: Seeking The Soul\/Dallas Stewart, Imperial Hunt\/Luis Carvajal Jr, Audible\/Todd Pletcher, Roy H\/Peter Miller, Yoshida\/William Mott, Promises Fulfilled\/Dale Romans, Gunnevera\/Antonio Sano, XY Jet\/Jorge Navarro, Pavel\/Doug O\u2019Neill, Switzerland\/Steve Asmussen.<\/p>\n

Japan: Matera Sky\/Hideyuki Mori, KT Brace\/Haruki Sugiyama. Bahrain: Nine Below Zero\/Fawzi Nass. Ireland: Tato Key\/David Marnane. Hong Kong: Fight Hero\/Me Tsui. South Korea: Dolkong\/Simon Foster.<\/p>\n

Specs<\/p>\n

Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)<\/p>\n

Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)<\/p>\n

Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)<\/p>\n

On sale: Now<\/p>\n

Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)<\/p>\n

UPI facts<\/p>\n

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In Abu Dhabi, French photographer Jack Burlot, 78, stands inside the newly opened Zayed National Museum, confronted with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":225650,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[4420,307,86367,304,305,306,308,93,61,60,4540,1284,329,43960],"class_list":["post-225649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-abu-dhabi","tag-arts","tag-arts-culture-team","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artsdesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-museums","tag-standard","tag-story","tag-weekend"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/225649","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=225649"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/225649\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/225650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=225649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=225649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=225649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}