Life in Dubai Creek
Be the first to comment 21 August 2012
Fast-forward to 2012 and we walk further inland, around the Deira side of the creek past the Baniyas abra station, to where larger vessels are docked at the dhow wharfage. Despite the heat and the long working hours of many of these men, we watch crews laugh and joke with one another while going about their duties. We approach the loudest crew first, a group of young Pakistani men dressed in white vests and long, brightly-coloured sarongs. They have the swagger of young men, full of energy, and are quick to exchange jokes with us.
After several minutes of laughter, 27-year-old Amir Ali stops to chat. He’s in Dubai to earn money, but admits he longs for home. Does he have a wife waiting for him there? He stares into the distance. ‘For one year
I had a wife, but it is finished.’
Above, Noman Ali (front centre) with the rest of his crew. The 28-year-old Iranian reveals that each journey takes a month – two weeks each way.
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