"Memory of the Nation"
A weekly page presented by «Emirates Today», in cooperation with the National Archives of the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, with the aim of introducing the life in the Emirates before the union, and during its early beginnings, and the great effort made by the founding fathers of the state to establish it, and link it with the achievements of the leaders of the Emirates today And her children are achievements that the world has witnessed.
The Coved-19 pandemic revealed that the UAE has the capabilities to confront and manage crises with high capacity, according to strategies characterized by flexibility and rapid response to various changes at all levels, and to work to find appropriate solutions and alternatives in the fastest time, and to create new opportunities for growth, Relying on this, on a solid infrastructure, and strong foundations on which the state has built since its inception, it derives its strength from its adherence to the past and a conscious reading of the present as a way to foresee the future.
Among the fields that started from ancient foundations in the history of the region and were able to achieve pioneering leaps at the present time, the field of trade that the Trucial Coast has known for many years, considering the coast a pivotal trade center in the region and on the Silk Road, and the commercial activity continued to keep pace with the developments witnessed by the world beginning From camel caravans and dhow boats to digital commerce.
Trade and thrones
Trade was an important and major factor in the life of the Bedouins, who relied on them to provide for the needs of the tribesmen in terms of food, and other necessities that the Bedouins are indispensable to, especially in the desert, and they remain in need throughout. According to what Sheikha Sabha Muhammad Jaber Al-Khaili mentioned in her book “Wayne al-Tarush,” which deals with the life of the Bedouins in Abu Dhabi, during the thirties to the sixties of the last century, explaining that «trade was a means to achieve the least daily needs of the family, and was not a demand for wealth or a goal To make profit for profit ». Trade was limited to the geographical scope between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, where they were heading to Abu Dhabi to sell what they had of wood and charcoal, and they bought the price of salt and "salty", which is dried fish, to sell in Al Ain, and they called the Badia merchants (the thrones), because they were ( Tarrash), i.e. they travel from one area to another on the camel, and the journey on camels takes eight days, proceeding from the desert to Abu Dhabi, and at the point of arrival located at the “Al-Maqta’a” tower, they may have to wait until the sea calms down if it is in a tidal state, where They traverse near the tower, and eat until the sea "clears". That is, until "the islands happen", then they can complete their march to Abu Dhabi Island, where they reside for a period of between three and four days, during which they sell their goods and buy what they need from the "mir", which is the necessary food and commodities that they do not need. Then they are preparing again to return to Al-Ain and their areas of residence, and from the goods that constituted a basic need, "the clothing", which is what the tribesmen need from clothes, sugar, and living, which is rice and salt that was extracted from the "Al-Hafar" area in Abu Dhabi, known by its name The "digger salt" is cut in the form of plates that were very clear and pure, and they looked like pure diamonds from impurities, and each camel carried between four and six plates. The book also indicates that the profession of “Al-Tarush” was not limited to men. The Badia also knew the women of Tarush as well. If the Bedouin were unmarried or widowed and had children responsible for them, they left them with their grandmother and traveled with the deaf. Usually the women of Al-Tarush are two or more, and they tend to trade in “firewood, sheep, camel or ghee”, but they do not sit in the market, but rather go to him to buy their needs after the exchange of their trade that the people of Abu Dhabi buy once the city arrives.
Ports and markets
On the foreign trade front, the ports had an important role in encouraging trade in the region, as they were the lung with which they communicate with the outside, and the site was of great importance in transforming the Trucial Coast into a central commercial station between the East and West, especially in Dubai, which was known as the pearl of the Gulf And historians agreed that its seaports played a large role in foreign trade, as noted by the German traveler Burkharn, who visited in February 1904. Dubai includes a number of ancient markets that were considered an important center of economic activity, an arena to display the needs of people, and a destination for those coming to Dubai from Merchants for sale and purchase. The large market in Bur Dubai, which was built in 1830, and the large market in Deira, which was built around 1850 AD, is one of the largest markets in Dubai and are two prominent landmarks. The port on the creek was the stage to receive and load cargo ships on its cruises to Africa and the Indian subcontinent, and a site for conducting commercial transactions and trade, and providing the necessary crews for commercial ships. There are also other markets that Dubai is famous for: Al Farda Market, the Pearl Market, “Tawawish Market”, the Silk Market, the Gold Market, the Clothes Market, the Fish Market, and the Food Market.
In Sharjah, the Al-Arsah market, which is one of the oldest popular markets in the UAE, stands out, and was once the meeting point for Bedouin merchants' journeys and camels loaded with goods.
Global indicators
Statistics of the UAE Ministry of Economy indicate that the country's non-oil foreign trade has more than doubled from 1627 times over 48 years, and rose from about one billion dirhams in 1971 to 1.62 trillion dirhams by the end of 2018, the UAE's foreign trade has been distinguished, as reports of many international organizations And global reports on high competitiveness, and the UAE ranked first regionally in the MENA region, in several global indicators, including the index enabling trade, the efficiency of customs procedures, the lowest cost of import, and the infrastructure of the port sector.
Promote competitiveness
The UAE has made great achievements during the transition to a digital economy since 2013. These achievements helped to enhance the competitiveness of the national economy of the UAE, according to indicators of international organizations, including the World Economic Forum, which ranked the UAE at the forefront of the Arab countries as a center for regional e-commerce in 2017.
growth
Dubai Foundation for the Future expected, in recent reports on its life after "Corona", that the size of the e-commerce market in the UAE will reach about 63.8 billion dirhams by 2023, with the growing importance of the digital economy, which contributes about 4.3% of GDP To the state.
Digital economy
The digital economy of the UAE contributes 3.4% of the country's GDP, with expectations of a steady increase in this rate. 40% of the UAE population uses digital government services more than once a week. In the retail sales hub, e-commerce in the UAE is growing rapidly, and it plays a major role in the growing volume of sales, while traditional retail sales in the country are declining. The country is working to consolidate its position significantly in the digital economy, which is supported by many factors, such as the development of electronic commerce.
• Trade was a means to achieve the daily needs of the family, and it was not a demand for wealth or a goal for profit.
• The digital economy of the UAE contributes 3.4% of the country's GDP.
• 1830, the year the Great Market was built in Bur Dubai.
• 40% of the UAE population uses digital government services.
• 1850 year of construction in Deira.