Dubai: On my first visit to the Gulf News head office off the Shaikh Zayed Road, then known as Dubai-Abu Dhabi Road, way back in February 1992, I had a brief view of Metropolitan Hotel — the only civil structure in the vicinity then, standing in the middle of a patch of desert.
Dubai-Abu Dhabi highway was a two-lane road till Jebel Ali, then merging into a single lane to Abu Dhabi.
The car that carried me back to Dubai, had to take a U-turn, in front of Safa Park and the Metropolitan Hotel when I had managed to get a glimpse. There was nothing ‘metropolitan' about the hotel — it was a low-lying building in the middle of nowhere — more of a hideout for those who wanted to seek refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city life.
From downtown Deira to Gulf News office, the cabbies used to charge Dh15, in those days. But convincing them was a problem, as the return trip would be a loss for them — without any passenger. I used to commute between home and my workplace in the office bus that used to pass through most of the city's large neighbourhoods within 30 minutes.
That was the pre-mobile era, sounds like a pre-historic age. Some people, especially those in sales used to carry a device called ‘Pager' — the most advanced instrument available then to track a person. Dubai Taxis were yet to come, let alone Dubai Metro. Mobile phones and the internet were either on the drawing board or a subject of science fiction.
Life was simple then, without traffic.
Every time I passed the Metropolitan Hotel, it made me wonder — why would one pay to stay in such a place so far away from light and sound...
Built in 1979, the Metropolitan gradually added facilities and became a destination of choice with restaurants, a cineplex and a residence complex. For some time, it had developed its own character. The thought of its demolition hurts.
Then, around 1995, everything started to change. It was the year, when His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, was named Crown Prince of Dubai. The rest, as they say, is history. The next 15 years, Dubai raced against time to reach the skies. Hundreds of towers came up, ports and airports expanded and new neighbourhoods were built by transforming deserts into master planned urban communities.
It's a short history with a long tale of towering achievements. Then, in 2010, history rose — the Burj Khalifa — creating a new vibrant downtown. The changes in the landscape around Shaikh Zayed Road somewhat reflects the change in Dubai. From a town, Dubai graduated to a global city.
Misfit
The Metropolitan Hotel might have lost its relevance where its low-lying presence now appears a misfit among the towering neighbourhood. For 32 years, it remained a silent witness to a history of rapid growth, to which it has eventually fallen a victim.
A new piece of real estate might emerge from the ashes of this landmark that will cater to a new iPhone, iPad-savvy generation. However, the sepia-coloured images of the Metropolitan will always remind me of the most vibrant part of Dubai's history. Somehow, I am also a witness to this.
