These days the Tourist Club district of Abu Dhabi is just a name on a map, but even in fairly recent memory, it was one of the city's most popular hangouts. This image was taken in the early 1970s, at the newly opened bowling alley.It shows a couple of tenpin bowling enthusiasts. Lining up his shot is Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamed Al Hamed, the UAE's first Minister of Information and Tourism, who sadly passed away last week. Waiting his turn is Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first President of the United Arab Emirates. Records show that the evening was also attended by a teenage Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Mohammed Khalifa Al Qubaisi, who won the 1988 AMF World Cup in Mexico, recalls an audience with Sheikh Zayed after taking the title. “His words were very unique and he influenced me the most,” he says.
Last month, The National’s Ali Al Saloom recalled his own happy teenage memories of the Tourist Club, which, as he points out, was not really for tourists at all, but largely enjoyed by the city’s expatriate Arabs and locals like himself. As well as the bowling alley, attractions included a beach, a pizzeria, a music shop and an artificial skating rink. “The Tourist Club contributed a lot to my upbringing here in the capital,” he wrote. “And I felt as if I have visited all of the Arab nations because the club had members from all of the Arab countries.”
* James Langton