These are my continuing thoughts as I journey from the United States, ultimately to Thailand. However, I am still in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates as I write this piece. When I exited the giant Boeing 777, which I wrote about in my last blog, I was greeted by the Abu Dhabi heat and many strange sights — Abu Dhabi Airport – A Palace in the Desert.
First the heat, even on the Jetway, it was able to seep into the cracks and warm the walkway as noon approached. It was nearly 38 Celsius, which is 100 Fahrenheit. Funny, as we flew across the Atlantic and Europe, I could get current weather condition in the UAE. It was pretty much a steady 100 all morning. Wow.
Besides the heat there were two fantastic sights on the ground. The first I thought must be a tall luxury hotel – then I spotted the familiar black panel glass at the top of the tall structure. It was the Abu Dhabi Control Tower, a work of modern art.
As I looked left of that structure I could see another huge structure, still under construction. It was enormous and modern looking. I asked the attendant what it was – a new terminal was my correct guess. Funny, it seems like the current terminal is pretty modern already. I am including a photo of the construction and what it will look like when it is finished.
So here I am – in the middle of the desert and I see these beautiful and modern and expensive structures. Where did all the money come from for these projects? The answer is a three letter word – O-I-L. The UAE has a lot of it. I thought wow, the impact of the automobile and airplanes. If the automobile (powered by gasoline engines) had not become the standard of transportation in many parts of the globe, then the UAE would look very different. It would likely consist of Bedouin herds (much like Abraham in the Bible – see photos) scratching out a living in the heat. While there are still Bedouins in the UAE, there are also resorts, hotels, and Formula One Racing – not to mention a very modern airport and airline.
It’s amazing to think that two events in the early 20th Century– the Wright Brothers exploits in Kitty Hawk and Henry Ford making the automobile affordable in Detroit – have very much reshaped the world, especially the Middle East, in the early 21 Century. Abu Dhabi Airport – A Palace in the Desert
Doctor Aviation International Travel is to be continued.