Sheikh Zayed Road as it used to be.

In 1971 cars travelled easily from Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah along a newly constructed single carriage highway paid for by Saudi Arabia. No similar road existed between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Instead cars used sand tracks along the beachline risking getting lost or stuck. Most travelers relied on Taxis with drivers familiar with these sand tracks. No Mobile Phones to call for help if you took the wrong sand track!

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United Arab Emirates had unified the seven States but Laws and Regulations in each State were not unified. Customs Duties were different with Dubai's Customs Duties being lower than in other States. Dubai's Traders took advantage of this differences by smuggling goods (and probably people as well) overland into Abu Dhabi. They used those modern "ships of the desert" - LandRovers! They were driven at night without headlights over the desert from Dubai to Abu Dhabi to deliver their goods. LandRovers were difficult to obtain in the early 1970s. LandRovers ordered by Sheikh Rashid for his newDubai Defense Forcedisappeared from Port Rashid during Sheikh Rashid's absence overseas. Local Traders had taken the LandRovers. Sheikh Rashid ordered their return. No doubt these LandRovers made a few desert runs to Abu Dhabi before being returned!

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This is a 1965 account by a young Engineer working for Decca Navigation of his drive in a Landrover from Dubai returning to his home in Abu Dhabi .....

I topped up the tank, checked the oil and water, which was a bit low, and set off along the road towards Abu Dhabi. It was later than the day before, the sun was higher and hotter and did not provide the same navigation information. It was harder to see the tracks with no shadows but I pressed on. I passed through the border. They were not very interested in me.

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I watched the temperature gauge. It was higher than yesterday. Problem was the engine was new, not yet run in, its tightness causing it to overheat. I stopped to let it cool down and topped up the radiator with my drinking water. It took a lot. I had to stop again as the day got hotter and wondered if there was any extra water anywhere. I had not seen other traffic. I was sure I was going in the right direction but there were so many little used tracks I began to have doubts. I could be travelling on one track and another vehicle travelling on nearby track but I would not have seen it because of low dunes and hummocks of dried up vegetation.

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I thought I recognised a low rock where I had turned slightly and made a point of remembering it. I turned down a track that petered out after a few kilometres. I retraced my route and stopped. It was very hot. I was sweating not just from the heat. It was dead silent. All I could hear was the ticking of the cooling engine. I drank a bit of my remaining water - there was not much left. I wished I had brought more. What I had would have been ample if I had not put so much in the engine. I got on the car's roof and looked around. It all looked the same. I had a compass fixed to the dashboard but wondered if it had been affected by the car's electrics.

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The day wore on. I started to slow down to stop the engine boiling my water away. I was low on petrol so I stopped to top up from my 5-gallon Jerrican. I experienced a sinking feeling as I touched the Jerrican. It was not heavy. I unstrapped it but knew it was empty. There was a petrol smell in the back of the Landrover. The Jerrican had been rubbing against a sharp corner and leaked. All the petrol had gone.

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Sweat dribbling down my face was not to do with the heat and humidity! What a stupid thing to do. I was angry with myself. I had heard of people being found weeks later desiccated like mummies huddled under their vehicles or fallen in the sand when they decided to try and walk out of the desert. I had not seen anyone since leaving Dubai. That might mean I was on the wrong track heading into the Empty Quarter. I was a fool. That was the only conclusion I could draw. Here I was alone, thirsty and hot in the middle of nowhere with a Landrover and very little petrol or water. I was 24. It was not fair. There was so much I wanted to do! Think! You have been a bit silly but now it is time to get a grip.

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OK. Let's think. I knew I only had 10 or 20 Kms of petrol left. I was not out of water - I had about a pint or so left. I had my Decca Survival Guide (a little booklet in DayGlow Orange) I could use as a signal. The main thing was to stay with the vehicle. It provided shade. Also it is a lot easier to see a vehicle than a person (body!) There were mirrors I could use but my position was not good. I moved the Landrover to the highest piece of ground I could see. Even from the roof, I could not see anything except sand and scrub. The tracks did not seem to be as well used as they looked before but at least I could be seen better. Nobody else. Nothing Else. Pity it was a Limestone coloured Landrover. Better if it were DayGlow Orange!

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It was very quiet. I listened hard. Was that an engine or not? I could not be sure. No - maybe not. If one did come by I needed some thing dramatic to signal with. They would not hear my horn. They might see smoke. Set fire to the Landrover! Yes! Hang on - it was brand new and cost more than I earned. Never mind the cost. This was my life we were talking about. I had a lighter. I looked around for something to start a fire. There were twigs but nothing that provided smoke. I gathered a pile of twigs. It looked pitiful. The seats were probably filled with foam. That was more like it. I could burn these and produce lots of smoke. I was thinking this might be better than trying to set fire to the car when I heard an engine. I jumped onto the roof again. I could see a cloud of dust coming towards me. It was a pickup truck. I suddenly felt embarrassed. I jumped down, put the seats back and kicked away the pathetic twigs. How could I have considered such things?

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I waved to the driver and he stopped. The pickup carried two people and a load of cardboard boxes. I don't know their nationality but they understood my English. "I've run out of petrol" I said indicating the empty punctured Jerrican. There were signs of regret and sympathy. "I don't have much water either." They had both in abundance like the sensible people they were. Money changed hands. I found they were going to Abu Dhabi. I was on the right track after all. I followed them as far as Muqta crossing. In the cooler afternoon breeze I waved them goodbye and was soon home. "How did it go?" I was asked. "Oh, OK. No problem." I did not mention anything to anyone, after all, it was just another boring Decca Day.

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A Satellite Communications Dish was installed on top of Jebel Ali by Cable and Wireless in early 1970s.

Cable and Wireless operated Dubai's Overseas Telephone Communications. This new Communications "Center" at Jebel Ali meant building an access road. This was the first road in this area and forerunner of Dubai-Abu Dhabi Road.

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Around 1978 Sheikh Rashid announced a plan to build a new town, a new port and a new airport at Jebel Ali. A signboard was erected in the sand that said simply "JEBEL ALI NEW TOWN". UAE's new Constitution contained provision for a new Capital City to be located on the border between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. No one would take the decision to build it. It may be that Sheikh Rashid decided to build his own Capital City.

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Jebel Ali New Town and Airport were never built. Only Jebel Ali Port was built together with Jebel Ali Village to house the people building the Port.

Dubai-Abu Dhabi Road took on a new significance as the link to Dubai's new Industrial Area. But Jebel Ali Port was not a success initially. It took 30 years before Jebel Ali became important to Dubai as Sheikh Rashid had intended.

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Road construction between Dubai and Abu Dhabi started in 1970 and completed about 1973. Dubai built their part of the road to the border. Abu Dhabi built their part down to the border. It was a very basic road. A two lane highway with no lighting. Driving that road at any time was risky. Camels freely wandered the road causing frequent collisions, particularly at night. Many lives were lost.

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"At that time (in 1973) it took four hours to travel between the two cities along a pot-holed road lined with the remains of wrecked cars. At my last visit 12 years later, this had become a four-lane limited access expressway."-A Visitor's comments.

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Dubai/Abu Dhabi Road was as dangerous in the 1970s as it is today.

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United Arab Emirates was far from united in the mid 1970s. There were significant between States. UAE's Customs Duties were not unified so persons and goods transiting the Dubai/Abu Dhabi border were subject to Customs checks at a Customs Post on the Dubai/Abu Dhabi Road. Dubai did not bother about the Customs check but then their Customs Duty was almost zero. Abu Dhabi did bother as their Customs Duty was much higher. Each State retained its own Customs Department (and still does so in 2009) so driving on the Abu Dhabi Road meant stopping at the Customs Post to be checked by Abu Dhabi Customs.

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By 1978 the various State Armies had been loosely "unified" into the UAE Defense Force. UDF was divided into Regional Commands. Each Command was, in reality, a State Army with loyalty to a particular State Ruler. In 1978 Sheikh Zayed tried to appoint his 18 year old son as Commander in Chief. The Western Command, which was formed from Dubai's Army, rebelled and refused to take orders. Consequence was an immediate "Stand Off". Dubai/Abu Dhabi Border closed. Western Command took up defensive positions along the border. UDF took up their positions on the opposite side of the Border.

Dubai/Abu Dhabi Road remained closed for six days!

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"Stand Off" ended when Sheikh Zayed rescinded his order. Sheikh Zayed had wanted rapid integration. Sheikh Rashid believed gradual integration was the best way forward given the differing development of the seven UAE States.

Political Statements supporting Sheikh Rashid's view were published in Dubai's newspapers and read out on radio and television in Arabic and English. It was Public Politics and the only time that has occurred in Dubai's history.

Sheikh Zayed acceded to Sheikh Rashid's view, dissolved the Federal Council and appointed Sheikh Rashid as Prime Minister.

Sheikh Rashid was an energetic Prime Minister. He started to make things happen in the UAE. New hospitals, schools, roads were built under his direction. Dubai/Abu Dhabi Road was further developed and became a major arterial road.

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Dubai/Abu Dhabi Road took on a greater significance after Sheikh Rashid announced the building of Jebel Ali Port in 1978 and opening of Jebel Ali Free Zone in 1980. The Road was now a key link in the distribution of goods and materials from Dubai's Twin Ports of Jebel Ali and Port Rashid. Growth in Dubai's trade meant imports through Dubai's Ports were distributed by road to Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq to the north and Oman and Yemen to the South. This led to increasing commercial traffic on the road.

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Jebel Ali Free Zone grew which meant more people moving to Dubai to live and work. But Jebel Ali Village had limited accommodation. These newcomers had to find living accommodation in Dubai. Many were housed in labour camps in Al Quoz while others lived in Dubai itself. Daily they drove to and from Jebel Ali Free Zone adding substantially to road traffic. Later development of various Cities and housing complexes constantly added to the traffic flow.

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The Road was inadequate for the amount of traffic. It still had roundabouts which were difficult to negotiate and dangerous. In the mid 1990s Dubai's Government announced a major upgrade of the road including a realignment to by-pass Jebel Ali Free Zone. Flyovers were to replace roundabouts.

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Most major roads connecting Old Dubai with other UAE States were known by their destinations. The road to Abu Dhabi became the "Abu Dhabi Road". Places like the Jebel Ali Hotel displayed their address as "off the Abu Dhabi Road". The road connecting Dubai and Abu Dhabi probably never had an official published name. The road signs (where they existed) simply showed the road's destination.

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Sheikh Maktoum was Ruler of Dubai by the time the road upgrade completed in the early 1990s. There was public speculation the upgraded road would be named in memory of Sheikh Rashid who had died in 1990. Dubai's then new Ruler Sheikh Maktoum announced the upgraded road to Abu Dhabi was officially named as the "Sheikh Zayed Road" in honour of the UAE President. But that name only applied until the road reached the Abu Dhabi border!

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The name "Sheikh Zayed Road" only applies while the road is in Dubai's territory. Cross the border and the name changes to "Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Road". Abu Dhabi gave that name to their part of the road in honour of Dubai's late Ruler! Sheikh Maktoum had lived in Abu Dhabi for several years after a disagreement with his Father.

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The road upgrade proved inadequate. For cost reasons the flyovers were built as single carriageway crossovers. These quickly became inadequate for the increasing traffic. Instead of facilitating traffic flow the flyovers became barriers causing traffic jams and increasing driver frustration. Dubai Municipality eventually recognised the problem and replaced the flyovers with road bridges and upgraded the road. Continuing growth of Jebel Ali Free Zone, development of various "Cities" and expansion of private accommodation plus Dubai's increasing regional trade led to a rapid increase in traffic on the Sheikh Zayed Road.

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SALIK TOLL System on the Sheikh Zayed Road was intended to limit the amount of traffic using the road.

Before the 1970s only about 200 vehicles a day traveled the sand tracks between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Perhaps the Salik Toll System will reduce traffic flow back to 1970s levels- but then maybe it will not!

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