UNTOLD STORY OF AN ICONIC PHOTOGRAPH

A rare glimpse into the 1968 meeting between Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid

- BY ASHFAQ AHMED Managing Editor

The powerful black-and-white photograph of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, now seen across the UAE on 54th Eid Al Etihad banners, billboards and badges, has come to symbolise the spirit of national unity.

Captured in 1968, the image shows a defining moment between the two founding fathers, whose partnership and shared vision paved the way for the creation of the United Arab Emirates in 1971.

The photograph was taken by the late Noor Ali Rashid, the UAE's famed 'royal photographer', during a private meeting between Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid in a tent on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai border. At the time, both leaders were deeply engaged in discussions on forming a federation.

According to his daughter, Shamsa Noor Ali Rashid, who has spent the past 15 years documenting her father's archives, Noor was the only person present to record this moment.

"My father often accompanied Sheikh Zayed to such meetings," she told Gulf News in an earlier interview.