Dubai : an Arabian album / by Ronald. Codrai.

Introduction -- Arriving in Dubai -- Recollections of old Dubai -- Dubai at mid-century -- Al Akus -- Glossary and notes.

Ronald Codrai lived in south-eastern Arabia a decade before the overwhelming development that followed the discovery of oil. He travelled extensively and his incomparable collection of photographs captures a way of life which had altered little for centuries but which was soon to be changed, with breathtaking speed, almost beyond recognition.

This book presents a stunning selection of his magnificent colour and black-and-white photographs, which, accompanied by fascinating extracts from the author's diaries and by his personal recollections of the time, collectively frame the spirit and atmosphere of Dubai at mid-century. In companion volumes, Ronald Codrai extends his photographic journey to cover Abu Dhabi, Oman, Sharjah and the North-East Sheikhdoms at this same vital turning point in history, capturing scenes, faces and events through his lens. The Arabian Album Series received the accolade of the UAE Cultural and Scientific Association's Sultan Al Owais Literary Award.