Early Al Ain aerial photograph

[Abu Dhabi]. Burlot, Jack. Aerial photograph of experimental farming in Al Ain.

€ 1.250,00

A rare early aerial view of Al Ain during the formative years of the modernization of Abu Dhabi, showing an experimental farm. Most likely taken between 1974 and 1980 during Burlot’s photographic tours of the region for Gamma, the print belongs to the same documentary moment in which he recorded the rapid oil-driven reshaping of the UAE for an international audience.

The photograph preserves a striking visual record of the state-led drive to expand cultivation in one of the Gulf’s driest environments. Throughout the 1970s, Abu Dhabi invested heavily in agricultural development in order to reduce dependence on imported food, and the number of farms rose sharply as new technologies improved yields in the desert climate.