Nostalgic residents surf the past through Twitter
dubai — Nostalgic local residents have turned to Twitter to share memories of what life was like in the UAE in the seemingly far-off 1990s.
Using the hashtag #90sUAE, hundreds of local residents have taken part, sharing the cherished memories of the places, activities and even snacks of the era, many of which have since been lost to time. “As there was no Facebook, Young Times was a great deal then,” wrote one resident, referring
to a children’s publication formerly published by Khaleej Times.
Others posted photographs of once-prominent local landmarks that have since been demolished or fallen into disuse. One UAE resident, for example, posted a photograph of the now-gone, but once iconic Hardrock Cafe building, which used to grace Sheikh Zayed Road. “If you lived past this or near this, you lived too far away,” he wrote.
dubai — In the latest social media craze to sweep across the UAE’s Twittersphere, longtime UAE residents are using the hashtag #90sUAE to share their fond memories of what life in the emirates was like in the seemingly far-off 1990s.
The hashtag — which began trending on Sunday — has seen hundreds of residents take part, sharing their often-humorous recollections of a time gone by.
One UAE resident, Tom Paye, for example, posted a photograph of the now defunct Hardrock Café building on Sheikh Zayed Road on the way to Abu Dhabi, which was demolished in 2013. “If you lived past this or near this, you lived too far away,” he wrote.
On its official Twitter page, the Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc) posted an old picture of a barren looking petrol station store.
“We’re reminiscing about the days when Zoom C Store looked like this,” the company remarked.
Another local resident, engineering student Sihab Uddin, posted a
If you lived past this (Hardrock Cafe) or near this, you lived too far away.” Tom Paye @MrTomPaye
long list of memories of his, which he described as “basically my life before the advent of social media”.
Among his memories were of a more innocent time, in which young people reading rather than using social media in their spare time.
“As there was no Facebook, Young Times was a great deal then,” he wrote, referring to a children’s publication formerly published by Khaleej Times.
“When Young Times was the premier news source for all teen in the UAE,” added another expat, Robin Machado, alongside an image of a Young Times cover from the 1990s.
Others used the opportunity presented by the hashtag to remember an age in which traffic didn’t slow to a crawl during busy time periods.
“When you could reach Sharjah
When Young Times was the premier news source for all teen in the UAE...” Robin Machado @robinbmac
in 15 minutes from Bur Dubai,” wrote a resident going by the name Hemang.
For many local Twitter users, the 1990s are best remembered through snacks and beverages that have long since been lost to time, such as ‘Dixi Cola’, Ringo wafer fingers, Hubba Bubba rolling tape, ‘pop rocks’ and canned ‘QJ’ juice.
Bhumi Joshi, for example, posted an image of tomato-flavoured ‘Aladin’ potato chips. “School break essentials,” she wrote.
Others remarked on how much cheaper many items were in the 1990s’ UAE when compared to today.
“The expensive Quanta ice cream was only Dh2 but so good,” wrote a resident using the Twitter name FavaBean. “Oh, and if you ate London Dairy, you were rich.”
Another Twitter user Anant remembered a time “when shawarmas were half the price ... literally half the price”.
For some, the 1990s were remembered through long-defunct local landmarks, and posted pictures of forgotten locales such as the ‘Falcon Roundabout’, which formed the junction of Al Mina Road, Bank Street and Al Ghubaiba Road. According to a user, at the Internet café that existed at Dune Centre, people could go “web surfing on MAC OS Classics with 28k modems”.
Others used the hashtag to reminisce about a time in which Dubai and the rest of the UAE were without the vast plethora of entertainment and leisure options that exist today.
“When Hili Fun City in Al Ain was the only road trip destination,” wrote Emirati Khadija Alsaedi, alongside an image of a blue and white ride.
Some, however, seem to simply just miss how things were. “The good old days that will never come back,” tweeted Mohammad Rashad.
bernd@khaleejtimes.com