The National Comes to Abu Dhabi

I’m hearing a lot about the United Arab Emirates in the news lately. And it’s not just about the Disney/Vegasfication of Dubai; now Abu Dhabi i...

I’m hearing a lot about the United Arab Emirates in the news lately. And it’s not just about the Disney/Vegasfication of Dubai; now Abu Dhabi is getting into the mix, with a new English language newspaper with a largely western staff.

The National launched last Thursday. The role of the paper as stated by
Editor-in-Chief Martin Newland is to “reflect society, help that society
evolve and, perhaps most importantly, promote the bedrock traditions
and virtues that must be preserved even in times of change, and that is
why we have called our paper The National.”

The paper will cover news, business, sports, culture and features, and will have a staff of about 200. The paper is meant to give Abu Dhabi a national voice. It will be interesting to see what that voice turns out to be; it is owned by an investment fund controlled by the Abu Dhabi
government. Many of the paper’s staff were hired away from top tier papers in London, New York and Toronto, including photo editor Brian
Kerrigan from Canada’s The Globe and Mail, review editor Jon Shainin from the New Yorker, Bill Spindle from the Wall Street Journal, and deputy editor Hassan Fattah from the New York Times.

I checked out the website, and was interested to see a photo essay by ICP alum Lauren Lancaster about important role falconry plays in Emirati culture. Lancaster is a full-time staff photographer for the paper.

Some pictures from the essay:

photo by Lauren Lancaster / The National

The Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital is the first public falcon hospital in
the United Arab Emirates. Opened in October 1999 as affiliate of the
Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, it has become the largest falcon hospital
in the country, with a patient influx of more than 24,000 patients in
the first six years.

photo by Lauren Lancaster / The National

The sport of falconry, and the culture surrounding the falcon,
stretches back millennia and enjoys a passionate following throughout
the region.

“Every Emirati family has a falcon or a family member who has a
falcon,” said Khaled Ali Saif Hamid, the falconer at the Abu Dhabi
Falcon Hospital. “It is a part of their life.”

photo by Lauren Lancaster / The National

Falconry enthusiasts are lobbying for the “noble sport” to be awarded
similar international status and protection as world treasures such as
India’s Taj Mahal and Egypt’s Pyramid Fields.

photo by Lauren Lancaster / The National

Nasir Al Dharif traind his falcon in the desert outside Abu Dhabi.
“There should be a cap on the number of birds allowed to be owned,”
said Mr Ellis. “There are at least five dedicated falcon hospitals in
Dubai – that gives some indication of the demand on these birds.”