MAQTAA BRIDGE

The 300-meter long bridge, which connects Abu Dhabi to the mainland, is a pleasant place to take an evening stroll and watch the sun set over the city. Built in 1967 by the Austrian steel company Waagner-Biro, the same company that built the dome of the Louvre Museum, it is the first bridge to connect the island to the mainland. Previously, Abu Dhabi Island was separated from the mainland by a shallow water channel. Only a few decades ago, the only way to get in and out of the city was to wait for hours for the water to recede and simply walk or ride a camel on the wet sand, which affected trade between the different areas due to poor connection with other tribes in Al Ain and Dubai. Visiting Wilfried Thesiger's magnificent photo exhibition at Al Jahili Fort in Al Ain, one discovers how in the 1940s nomads arriving from Al Ain would pass the Al Maqta Tower with their camels at low tide on their way to Abu Dhabi City. If the tower is still present and has not moved, the automobile infrastructure has changed the landscape. The evolution in a few decades is incredible. The story of Al Maqta Bridge, which means "crossing point," begins when oil was discovered and a proper link to the mainland became essential and could be financed. Due to the increase in car traffic, a second bridge was built in 2000 right next to the first.