Went back to Jumeirah this week and came across this small group of 'locals' having a chat.
The place was almost deserted and there were not too many other people besides these guys. As they sat against the background of a setting sun, I wondered what they were discussing. The future of Dubai? The recent bad press that Dubai has received? Their roles in the modern day Dubai? The 'real Dubai' that they may have never seen?

The tradition of fishing

Over the years in Dubai, I had never ever come across a local Emarati fisherman so it was quite an exciting sight to see this young Emarati fixing his nets on the beach. Dubai is steeped in the tradition of fishing and it was interesting to see that a lot of this tradition is still evident. The young man spent almost 4 hours all by himself weaving a net while his toddler played alongside in the sand. As I started talking to him, it was evident to me that this young man was well educated and well traveled.

But he was so passionate about his family's traditional occupation - fishing. He told about the boats that he keeps and a few interesting stories from his experiences.

Read more about UAE and fishing here

The Pier

The small boat was anchored at this pier in Garhoud. I found this picture very peaceful. The entire place was entirely deserted with this solitary boat bouncing about on the water. It was almost like time stood still.