AL-BOURINI, Ahmed Qasim.

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Al-Imārāt al-saba' 'ala al-sāhel al-'akhdhar. First edition of this illustrated travel account through Oman and the Seven Emirates, undertaken by a Kuwaiti teacher in the 1950s.The journey covered Sharjah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Umm al-Quwain, Fujairah, Oman, and "colonised Oman", observing the environment, the local inhabitants, their main activities, and their relations with the British. In Sharjah, al-Bourini saw the palace of Sheikh Saqr bin Sultan Al Qasimi, and took several photos of Sheikh Saqr and other visiting rulers. The following chapter focuses on Dubai, with mentions of Deira, the influence of Iranians in the local economy, pearling, and the presence of the only hospital in the coastal emirates. As for Abu Dhabi, "there are no schools nor hospitals there", but the British have a military base and rely on the powers of the brother of the ruling Sheikh to further their interests. Al-Bourini's work is also a treasure trove of information on local festivities, including wedding dances, and traditions, such as iftar at the house of the Sharjah ruler. His photographs, all captioned in detail, provide historical documents of everyday life in the coastal emirates.

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