A likeness of a rider and his mount in Ras al Khaimah is believed to date from the 3rd century BC. Do these pictures depict religious beliefs of an earlier age, as some researches have suggested? Or, maybe, it's just a carving of a camel.
"Experts always try to complicate it," says Mohammed al Shehhi, 72, a member of the Al Shuhouh, a Ras Al Khaimah tribe. "If a camel was drawn on a rock, then most likely the meaning of the drawing was a camel, perhaps a beloved pet."
It's a charming, humble assessment, but saving the UAE's ancient petroglyphs is anything but straightforward. From complex symbolism to simple depictions of animals, the country's ancient rock art is in danger of being wiped out by the rising number of roadworks and rock-crushing projects.
As The National reports today, leading archaeologists are calling for urgent protection of carvings found on the mountains and caves of Fujairah, Ras al Khaimah and Hatta. While developing natural resources is essential, rock quarries may be mining short-term profit at the expense of a vital but often overlooked part of the country's rich heritage.
Archaeologists intend to create a database that will allow them to study and better protect rock art sites. Some of the sites date back to the Iron Age, between 1300 BC to 300 BC. It would be a shame to erase them now.
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WE%20NO%20LONGER%20PREFER%20MOUNTAINS
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright
The specs
COMPANY PROFILE
Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books
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Janine di Giovanni: Biden's America will be a more hopeful America
Rashmee Roshan Lall: Who are the women driving Joe Biden's success?
Youth found to be more prejudiced than older people about women leaders
Rashmee Roshan Lall: Kamala Harris and the complexity of racial identity
Tomorrow 2021
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
While you're here
David Frum: What Joe Biden has to fix - and preserve - from the Trump era
Hussein Ibish: Reasons for both Democrats and Republicans to be happy
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MORE FROM ED HUSAIN: The UAE-Israel accord is a win for every Muslim
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre flat-six twin-turbocharged
Transmission: eight-speed PDK automatic
Power: 445bhp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh474,600
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National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
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On Women's Day
Shelina Janmohamed: Why shouldn't a spouse be compensated fairly for housework?
Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality
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Justin Thomas: Challenge the notion that 'men are from Mars, women are from Venus'
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
STAR%20WARS%20JEDI%3A%20SURVIVOR
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 1 (Hudson-Odoi 90 1')
Manchester City 3 (Gundogan 18', Foden 21', De Bruyne 34')
Man of the match: Ilkay Gundogan (Man City)
