A personal museum that reflects the country's successes by investing in people

Obaid Al Ketbi documents the UAE’s achievements with 15,000 pieces in “1185”

• Al Ketbi: The importance of my museum does not depend only on the pieces it contains.

  Photography: Najeeb Mohamed

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More than 15,000 pieces are included in the 1185 Museum, which is the personal museum of Dr. Obaid Al-Hairy Al-Ketbi, who dedicated a separate section to him in his home in Abu Dhabi, stressing that the importance of this museum does not depend only on the pieces it contains, but stems from the fact that it presents a picture of The UAE's achievements by tracking his career.

In his interview with "Emirates Today", during the newspaper's tour of his museum, Al-Ketbi explained that choosing the name "1185" for the museum reflects his pride and pride in his affiliation with the armed forces, as this number was his first military number after graduating from Zayed Military College in 1977.

He added: "The idea of ​​the museum came from my belief that each of us should provide his country with the effort, work and achievements he can offer. Very long chronological age.”

He explained: "The holdings in the exhibition reflect how the UAE has invested in its men, and the successes obtained by the people of the country are testaments to the success of the investment approach in building the human being, which formed a pillar in the thought of the founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may his soul rest in peace. This is the approach that the leaders of the state and its sheikhs are always keen on.”

Al-Ketbi saw that his museum is different from other personal museums, because all the pieces contained in it are personal belongings or gifts and souvenirs, which he received during his career in the military or diplomatic corps, and therefore he describes them as “accomplishments that took place during a period of work that lasted 43 years in the service of the state, including 32 in the armed forces, after which he moved to work as a member of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Abu Dhabi Police for six years, then moved in 2015 to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and held the position of UAE Ambassador to Australia for three years, after which he returned to service in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs For a year and a half.

great variety

A tour of the 1185 Museum reveals the great diversity of its holdings, and also reflects the great effort made in classifying and displaying the holdings, to provide what can be described as a chronological narration of the museum's owner's career, as well as monitoring the extent of the state's keenness since its inception to provide many opportunities for the their children to learn, and to follow up their educational attainment in various fields around the world. The tour starts from a corner dedicated to Dr. Obaid Al Ketbi's personal cards and papers, such as his school card, which dates back to 1971, the first passport, and the first driver's license, as well as study and other cards for academic participation in a number of universities around the world, identity and work cards and cards Bank cards, airline tickets, and other important documents.

The holdings also include a set of pens, another watch, and a third of mobile phones, which reflect the stages of development in the manufacture of this device, explaining that “this group is owned by him and his family members, as he used to keep every phone he owned, or it was owned by family members as well.

In addition to a wide variety of medals that he received or gifted to him from different countries of the world on different occasions.

And documenting the dream of reaching space, the place includes a large medal bearing the name and image of the late Sheikh Zayed, carried out on the occasion of the arrival of the UAE and Arabs to Mars, and the date of this global event, which is the ninth of February 2021, is recorded on it.

anecdotes

The 1185 Museum also includes a collection of valuable and rare swords and daggers, including the sword of the Emiri Guard in the UAE, and the samurai sword, as well as the sword of the movie “Lord of Rings”, which is considered one of the rare pieces in the world, as one of only 15 copies produced. Of this sword, and other copies owned by kings, heads of state and public figures, including Queen Elizabeth, and former US President Barack Obama.

Among the rare pieces in the museum is a hand-made chessboard, characterized by the accuracy and beauty of the details engraved on each piece, a gift from a Russian businessman.

The museum also includes old field phones, including one made in 1920, and the second used during World War II in 1945, in addition to the first mobile phone in the UAE, and another of the second generation.

military march

The museum includes more than one corner that monitors Dr. Al-Ketbi’s career in military and police work, the most important of which is a corner that includes academic certificates and certificates of appreciation that he obtained, topped by his graduation certificate at Zayed Military College in 1977, which was handed over to him by the late Sheikh Zayed, and Al-Ketbi describes it as the most treasured piece. It contains what can be considered “the constitution of life for everyone who belongs to the military institution, and what it instills in the soul of those who carry it of a great feeling of confidence, pride and pride in belonging to this institution.”

The museum also includes other pieces related to police and military work, including the "commander's wand", which he obtained during his service in the Abu Dhabi Police, a number of military and police uniforms, insignia bearing the various ranks he held, and a number of shields and medals that were presented to him during his career.

The biggest medal in the world

Collectibles related to the world of sports occupy an important aspect in the museum, topped by the Knights Medal, the largest medal in the world recorded in the Guinness Book of Records in the name of the UAE and is still today.

Al Ketbi expressed his pride in achieving this achievement for his country, pointing out that “Al Fursan” is the name of the team he formed in 2008, with the aim of encouraging the public to move and spread the culture of practicing sports as part of the lifestyle of the community members. At the beginning, the team included 13 people, and the number reached 48 In 2014, he participated in the 72 km ultramarathon, and was awarded the Knight Medal recorded by the Guinness Book of Records as the largest medal in the world.

It also includes costumes for commemorative sports events and races inside and outside the country, as well as a set of commemorative coins, which were issued in conjunction with the UAE's participation in the FIFA World Cup in Italy in 1990.

Memories of the Ambassador

Dr. Obaid Al Ketbi did not neglect to document the period of his service in the diplomatic corps as the UAE ambassador to Australia, as he dedicated a corner to the holdings related to that period, all of which illustrate the nature of the good relations that linked the UAE embassy to the community there and to the various institutions and communities.

Among the most prominent of these holdings is a panoramic picture of al-Ketbi, consisting of 1,135 small images, representing the number of days he spent in service, in addition to many shields and other souvenirs.

The museum includes a section for gifts offered by visitors to the place as an expression of their pride in it, and their desire to participate in it with their treasured possessions.

• “My graduation certificate, which the late Sheikh Zayed handed to me, is the most cherished piece in my career and among the collections of my museum.”

• “I wanted the museum to narrate the march of the state, through a man, as the UAE was able to achieve achievements far beyond its age.”

• 43 years spent by the museum's owner in the service of his country among several places.

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