Dubai Culture hosts unveiling of renowned photographer Ramesh Shukla’s pictorial book on UAE’s history

The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) hosted the unveiling and book-signing session of renowned photographer Ramesh Shukla’s new pictorial book, The United Arab Emirates – Forty Years of Historical Photographs, depicting the tremendous progress achieved by the nation over the past four decades, at a ceremony held at the Union House. Over 200 hundred guests and dignitaries attended the event.

The book published by Motivate Publishing and supported by Dubai Culture, the Emirate’s dedicated Authority for culture, arts, and heritage, features an impressive portfolio of images captured by Shukla, highlighting the advancements achieved by the country in the last forty years.

Photographs from the book, which have been compiled by Shukla, who owns and manages the Four Seasons Ramesh Gallery, are currently being exhibited as part of Dubai Culture’s National Day ‘Union House Exhibition,’ which is open on weekdays from 7:30am till 2:30pm.

From images chronicling the lives of late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the ‘Father of the Nation,’ and late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, to the historic sikkas, and the era of deep sea pearl diving, the exhibition provides rare, unseen glimpses into the evolution of the United Arab Emirates.

The photographs capture the true essence of Dubai and the city’s visionary growth strategies that helped it to evolve as one of the world’s most popular and must-visit destinations.

In addition, the image portfolio of the exhibition also comprise the five distinct sections that depict the unification of the UAE - ‘Pre-Federation,’ ‘Reasons behind the Union,’ ‘Phases of UAE establishment,’ ‘Announcement of the Union,’ and ‘Accomplishments of the UAE.’

The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority is committed to inspiring the cultural community to focus on original content creation and thus establishing the Emirate as the vibrant hub of culture and the arts in the region.