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Four years ago, Dubai was a very different city-and Amjad Shahbandari witnessed it all
Today, tourists visiting Dubai for the first time will marvel at the towering Burj Khalifa. But as early as the 1980s, Indian expat Amjad Shahbandari had the same feeling when he saw Dubai World Trade Center and Deira Clock Tower.
In the past, Dubai was a very different city-and Amjad has witnessed all this.
Four years ago, a person could buy a cart of fruits and vegetables from Al Hamriya Market for only 25 dirhams. High-rise buildings are rare. A taxi from Dubai to Abu Dhabi only costs 5 dirhams.
But now, Amjad, who has lived for 44 years, is going to bid farewell to his second home today.
“When I came to Dubai, I never thought about how long I would live in this city. Now, I have been here for almost my entire life and life will be very difficult,” he said.
Amjad came from Bahar, a coastal town in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, and arrived in Dubai on August 15, 1977. At the time, only a few Indian cities had connections with Dubai, and some of them were transit destinations for international airlines.
“I took a Bangladesh Airlines flight from Mumbai, which was the first day of Ramadan that year. The food provided by the crew was very delicious. This may be the reason why Indians travel in Biman,” Amjad said.
He recalled being stuck at Dubai Airport for several hours because neither his cousins nor friends came to pick him up.
“When any traveler arrives in Dubai, their eyes will be looking for the Burj Khalifa. At that time, the feeling of the powerful World Trade Center and Deira Clock Tower was the same,” he said.
After doing a few odd jobs, Amjad got a job as an accountant in Fugro Middle East in 1978 and later served as the company’s public relations officer. Amjad, who has worked in the same company for 43 years, is now going to say goodbye.
“Leaving a place like Dubai is a kind of grief that cannot be expressed in words,” he said. “It can only be felt. I’m pretty sure many people have experienced this kind of sadness.”
Miss the good old days
Amjad said that people who lived in Dubai decades ago would never have imagined what the city looks like now.
“This is something that only Sheikh Mohammed, the chief of Dubai, can imagine,” he said. “At that time, none of us thought that it was just a small creek town, and the city would have tall buildings towering into the sky.”
The lifeline of the city was Abra -The main public transport available at the time.
“Taxis are very cheap and people mainly rely on Abra Ride across the river,” he said.
Amjad has several relatives in Abu Dhabi, and visits them by taxi every month.
“People took taxis to Abu Dhabi in the 1980s and only 5 dirhams for a one-way trip. The journey to the capital felt long and tiring. But after the country developed a large-scale world-class infrastructure, heading to Abu Dhabi It’s just a piece of cake,” he said.
Amjad received his driver’s license in 1984. He said that the process was very stressful, but obtaining a driver’s license is about prestige.
“It took me about eight months to get the driver’s license because we get an evaluation date every three to six months,” he said.
In addition, there is no driving school, and people who want to learn to drive must take private lessons.
Amjad also emphasized his love for Sheikh Rashid bin Mohamed Al Maktoum, and he played an important role in laying the foundation of the city.
“He is a gift from the Almighty, for the poor and those in need,” he said. “Sheikh Rashid launched a medical card to promote free medical care in Dubai, which also includes medicines. This shows his love for people.”
Expect the unexpected
In the 1980s, Amjad said that he and other Dubai residents believed that housing and commercial rents might fall in the next few years, but that was not the case.
“We have always thought that rents will fall, but this is not the case. The development is lightning fast, and the idea that rents might fall has disappeared,” he said.
He added that the landscape of Dubai changes every ten years.
“Dubai will be different every 10 years. Before, only the World Trade Center could be seen from a distance, but now there are hundreds of buildings,” he said.
At that time, there were only two shopping malls.
“Wafi Mall and Al Ghurair are the two favorite places for residents. If you see it now, there are countless shopping malls,” he said.
City of Sports and Art
Foreigners from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan often participate in cricket matches at the Sharjah Cricket Ground. Amjad still remembers the semi-final match between India and Pakistan in the Rothman Cup.
“March 22, 1985 was one of the most exciting days. We participated in the game and the team led by Kapil Dev went all out to play 125 games,” he said.
After watching the first game, he and his friends went home frustrated and didn’t want to watch the second half at all.
“It was Friday and it was our day off. When we went out at night, everyone was in a good mood because the team led by Imran Khan was eliminated in 87 games,” he said. “Don’t forget to witness such an important event in this country.”
In addition to sports, Amjad said he has seen many cultural events, including performances by Indian poets Kefi Azmi and Anjum Reba.
An enthusiastic reader Khalij Times, Amjad added that he proudly preserved the first edition of the paper.
“Khalij Times It is a gift to the UAE. This is the first English-language newspaper, and foreigners rely on it to get real and clear news,” he said.
He also collected almost every country’s currency and thousands of phone cards, 600 of which were Etisalat cards. “I have a few albums with the currency of each country printed on them. It’s a hobby, and then it develops into a passion.”
Amjad has three sons and one daughter. He is flying to Mangalore but plans to visit his second home regularly.
ayaz@khaleejtimes.com
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