Abu Dhabi: The Island Kingdom of the Sheikhs

New skyscrapers, glorious mosques. In Abu Dhabi, the biggest emirate in the Persian Gulf, there's nothing you can't find in between the traditional dhows and pure luxury. People behind the wheel like to flip the bird at you. A country shaped by desert and sea, Abu Dhabi, the island kingdom of the sheikhs. It's as if Aladdin had rubbed his lamp, wishing for a place full of wonders, Abu Dhabi. The emirate's palace was built to provide the rulers of all seven emirates with a suitable meeting place. Since that time, every ruling family has its own suite that is available to them at any given time. Magnificent and lavish. All that glitters here is gold. Maria Maddalena Marta has been working as a VIP concierge at the emirate's palace for a year. She's from Bucharest. Her early days in the oriental luxury maze with its 300 rooms and almost 100 suites weren't easy. At the beginning, yes, I got lost. But I thought I will never, I will never handle all this place. In two weeks I got to know the basic and then every day I had to discover new places in the hotel. New elevators, new shortcuts. A celebrity guest has been announced. Rumor has it that it's a former professional footballer from Real Madrid. Maria needs to make sure that the guest finds everything in perfect shape. How is it going? How is the arrangements? Everything fine? We only have one hour left. Our guest is on the way. The palace grand suite, 680 square meters for about 14,000 euros a night. At that rate, everything must be perfect. The Dow 921 is on her journey back to Abu Dhabi harbor. For years, the ship has been the home of these five men from India. Still, they're amazed by this sea of houses, a place of hope for their captain, Ramesh B. Tandul. We're all from a small village in Gujarat. I even brought two of my younger brothers. We're working here in Abu Dhabi around the clock, day by day. Fishing, unloading, selling. We're here to make a decent living. And that only works if you're always on the move. They live, work and pray on the Dow, the traditional boat of the Persian Gulf. Ramesh B. has been living here for 20 years. Work is hard, but the pay is fair. There are almost 300 Dows in the harbor. Men from India live on all of them. It's a floating fisherman's village, right across from the unreachable glittering world of downtown Abu Dhabi. The difference between them and us is that they earn a bit more money. And our life is more dangerous. The sea is dangerous. Boats may sink. There are deadly accidents. The people over there don't have real problems. They work, eat and sleep in those beautiful air-conditioned buildings. Out here, life is hard. The Indian fishermen's boats are tightly packed, sometimes 15 of them in a row. A nautical community. On one boat, they wash their clothes. They cook on another and play cards on another. Opposite them is another world. Maria's biggest concern is the desert sand. Somehow, it always finds a way into the suites. Her inspection is meticulous. Everything must be flawless. The silver fittings, the bathtubs coated with nacre, and the bedding embroidered with golden threads. It has to look like you come to a king's room. Here is the palace suite, so the covers, especially the covers, are made for these suites. So it has to look perfectly arranged. Like it looks new and no guest has been there before. Everything seems to be fine, but then Maria discovers something in the suite's dining room. You could have a look at this one, please. Just a little more here in this corner. Thank you very much. As a palace, we need to look shiny, especially our glasses. We have special glasses, crystal glasses. They should be shiny all the time. Not only is the glass shiny in this hotel, the same goes for the guests of the spa. The dernier cri, facial masks out of beaten gold. It's supposed to work wonders. 500 euros per treatment. It's not covered by health insurance. After the gold layer is applied, the precious metal is massaged into the facial skin. It's supposed to take years off your look. Abu Dhabi only had a few thousand inhabitants until the 1960s. With the oil boom, the mass of houses grew, built on islands in the Persian Gulf. Today, more than one million people live here. Metropolis on the sea, capital of the biggest emirate with the same name, Abu Dhabi. There isn't enough living space anymore. Artificial islands are created and the building continues. In Abu Dhabi, essentially nothing is old. What doesn't fit the zeitgeist is torn down and rebuilt. The city continuously changes its appearance. Half past three in the morning at the harbor, about 30 Daos have returned and discharged their cargo by the tons. Time is money. Their catch is presented in long rows on the asphalt right next to the boats. It's all sorted. Sea bass, tuna, mackerel and many more. The auction will begin soon. Ismail Al-Ali used to go fishing as well. Now he owns five boats and lets others fish for him. His people caught almost one ton of fish last night. Let's see if the price is right. No, it's better if you line them up beautifully. Just like that, sorted by size. It's a good quality today. The fins have that nice yellow shine. Over there, they have the same fish but they're only half the size of mine. Ours are much bigger, much meatier. It's almost 4.30. The auctioneer wants to start on time. Everything needs to be sold by sunrise as the fish will turn bad in the heat of the day. The fish is sold in portions of 100 kilos. The auctioneer asks for 700 dirham, about 170 euros. The buyers bid in steps of tens. Sold for 880 dirham, 2.1 euros per kilo. The auctioneer walks along the long rows, followed by clients who'd like to pay as little as possible and by fishermen who hope for the opposite. Then, Ismail's catch is under the hammer. The fish salesman addresses the crowd. Come on, people. The first batches are sold at around 2 euros per kilo. Praise Allah, it's going well. But we had a good catch. Fish of such good size and quality are quite rare. Ismail's fish are highly coveted. Heated discussions ensue. 600, 610. Don't get on my nerves. 780, 790. Okay, sold for 780 dirham. There are many buyers from big hotels and restaurants crossing items off their lists. The money will be transferred to the sellers' accounts later. Nobody pays cash anymore. Ismail's fish are in high demand. In the end, he managed to make a turnover of 2,000 euros. The prices were good today. During the past weeks, we had a lot of wind and not many fish. Today has been the first day with a good catch and good quality. Praise Allah. There's not much pristine nature left around the capital. Still, the emirate lives up to its name. Abu Dhabi means father of the gazelle. But the habitats of wild animals grow smaller and smaller. The building boom is unbridled. Ambitious projects are planned on Sadiat Island, the island of happiness. An offshoot of the Louvre, a Guggenheim museum, the New York University of Abu Dhabi. But the rulers of the Gulf are starting to worry. What will happen once the oil is gone? And what happens to nature? So they hired Natalie Stalins. She takes care of the most fragile plants in an empire of superlatives. We'll take some plants here. Can you just take small plants? Because the big ones will not survive when we transplant them. So just take small, small plants and dig them out. Make sure you have the roots and then we can take them to the site. This is a location that will ultimately be developed. It has very good established dune vegetation and we are going to take it to one of the hotels that is already built a few years ago and where the dune zone was damaged. For days, Natalie has been digging up Ayerva javanica, a desert shrub. Tomorrow, she and a lot of volunteers want to plant them in the sand of an almost bare dune again as shore protection. And because the dunes around Abu Dhabi are the breeding ground for the endangered tortoiseshell turtle, Natalie recently started a rescue program for this endangered turtle species. She just received an emergency call. Her most important helpers are the lifeguards. They found another diseased animal. More and more turtles are washed ashore during the winter. They struggle with muscles that cling to their shells. Their population has reduced by 80 percent over the past 30 years, so it's really critical. It's quite likely they might go extinct if not better care is taken for their preservation. Tortoiseshell turtles face a lot of threats. They get caught in fishing nets, are turned into soup meat, and their eggs are considered a delicacy in some countries. In addition, there are less and less coral reefs in the sea which serve as their food source. Without sufficient food, the animals grow weak and vulnerable, so muscles attach to their shells and the turtles are washed ashore. Close by, the lifeguards find another animal also covered in muscles. In the past year, Natalie's team saved almost 100 tortoiseshell turtles. Possibly a boy because he's got these claws on the back of his flippers. I think it's quite important that we monitor the beach for these turtles. Every turtle that we can save by simply taking it to a vet and having it looked after for a few months is another turtle that potentially can save the whole race from extinction. And without us, they would definitely die. After only a few days in sweet water, the muscles fall off. Approximately 1,500 Indians live and work in the Dao community. They are officially employed by Arabian boat owners who supply them with the treasured work visa. Eighty percent of the inhabitants of the Abu Dhabi emirate are foreign workers, two million people. They cherish their life as fishermen. It's much more desirable than work on the dusty building sites with their cramped accommodations. Ramesh Bey and his crew need to prepare for their next tour. They build fish traps, hemispheres out of wire that serve as a weir. Simple, easy to make, cheap. The Indian crews are required to pay for their materials themselves. In addition to diesel fuel and rent for the boat, if the catch is good, each of the men earns about 250 euros per month. Nobody gets a fixed salary. Our day depends on the catch. More fish mean more money. And that's why we came here from India, to make some money. Most of them work 10 to 11 months at a time and then visit their family at home, if they can afford the flight. Suresh is the cook aboard Ramesh Bey's Dao. At least three times a they drink tea with cardamom and milk, a taste of home in the Persian Gulf. Once all the work is done, the deck turns into the living room. Now, in winter, the weather is quite pleasant. At 25 degrees, they enjoy sitting on their sun deck. But during the summer, when temperatures almost double, they escape to the shade. The smell of fresh tea lures some of the neighbors from other boats. Then they talk about India, their families and life in Abu Dhabi. After so many years here, I can say that I like the Arabs. They're a good people. Even the man from whom I rent this boat for 20 years has always been fair with me. We have a boat at our village in India as well, but you can't earn money with it. Costs are high and there's not enough fish. If you work hard here, you earn decent money. We sent money back home, so that our children can go to school and the family has enough food. Everybody here does that. The muezzin calls and Ramesh Bey and the other fishermen will pray as well, but not to Allah. They're Hindus and their favorite goddess is Lakshmi. They built a small altar in the captain's cabin. Their next big fishing tour starts tomorrow evening. Goddess Lakshmi will supposedly help their trip be successful. If you believe in this goddess and pray to her, you can achieve everything. I always pray for our safe return from each of our trips and for a good catch. South of the capital begins the desert, Rub al Khali, which means empty quarter. It's one of the world's biggest sand deserts that covers almost the entire Arabian Peninsula. At the borders of the oasis town Al Ain, there is the biggest market for camels in the whole of the Arab Emirates. Thousands of animals are traded here every day. Camels for breeding, for racing, and for eating as well. Many camel traders come from Sudan. They spend the night in small huts near the market. During daytime they do their deals at the market. Mohammed Hamid and Ali Otman haven't sold a single animal from their corral for days, but at least one of their mares has given birth to a foal. Mohammed enjoys drinking the fresh camel milk while it's still warm. I'll drink it all. Ali wants to sell the mare. 35,000 dirham for her and the foal. That's about 8,000 euros. Mohammed also hopes for a sale today, finally. I even got a firstborn. That's something special. I'll sell it for 8,000 dirham. It's five years old now. You can tell from looking at the teeth. 1,900 euros is a good price for a young camel. There's no price limit for older animals. Some camels even changed hands for a few million euros. Most of the traders are intermediaries. Their plan is to buy an animal cheaply, raise it well, train it, and then hope for a shake with a big wad of cash to show up. So much for theory, but in fact it's like playing the lottery, and the animals keep their owners busy all the time. It's a real challenge to train camels correctly. They're particularly difficult when it's hot. You need to accustom them to the leash, train them to kneel down, and many other things. It's a lot of work. Mohammed needs to train this old camel. It's been very hard to sell, as it follows even the simplest orders only under protest. Mohammed's patience is running short. If it goes on like that, selling the animal for slaughter will be the last resort. Right next door, people trade another favorite animal of the Arabs, falcons. Khalid Al-Khabi is an Emirati, and he doesn't own a bird yet. This is supposed to change now. The Alnkher's family's business is an insider's tip. It doesn't look like much, but their assortment is good. Khalid wants to buy his own first falcon. I love falcons, and I want one I can go hunting with. It's the season now. Abdullah Alnkher presents his beautiful animals. The owner has a selection of 30 birds on offer. Prices range from 2,000 to 20,000 euros. Khalid calls the leather cap a falcon burqa. The darkness keeps the birds calm. I'm looking for a Shaheen, a small wild one. He should be still young and fast. This falcon's from Germany. Officially acquired from a German breeder with papers and ring. He's especially trained for hunting hubara bustards. He's the best at that. But the German falcon is too big and heavy for Khalid's taste. Also, he wants to hunt pigeons with his animal. But the two traders don't give up that quickly. How about such a beautiful light falcon like this? He's from Syria. Kenyan pigeons? Khalid takes his time. He knows that things should not be rushed when buying a falcon. It's early in the afternoon at the camel's market. Finally, the first clients show up. It's been a slow day so far. Next door in the goat department, animals already change hands, but not without incidence. All camel traders wait for the big white jeep with the dark windows and the buyers inside. Sudanese Mohamed and Ali move their most beautiful animals to the front row. Today must be the day. Finally, a client, Salim Al-Hattab from Saudi Arabia, takes a look around the corral. For how much do you sell them? It's a careful approach. This is a really special camel. It will be worth your while. I'd like to buy a camel for breeding. I have a male already and now I'm looking for a suitable mare. If they manage to make a foal, I may be able to sell it in a year's time. And now the young man wants to buy two animals. Twelve thousand for two. What do you say? Eleven thousand? The Sudanese realize that their client is looking for a bargain. I'll pay cash right now, right here. Let's agree on seven thousand for both of them. You think that's too little? Well, I won't pay more than seven thousand. Okay, friends. No deal then. Mohammed and Ali must continue their wait. The beach at Sadiat Island, at the border of the capital. Today, the bear sand dunes are supposed to be replanted to protect the remaining breeding grounds of the tortoiseshell turtles. The international school sent some of their classes. So many volunteers. Natalie Stalins is pleased. It's very important that we keep this habitat for these turtles because Abu Dhabi is developing progressively and the turtles are running out of space. It's very special that they're still nesting on this beach and we want to make sure that it continues. Actually, turtles, they always return to the beach where they were born. So they have this instinct to come back. So for many millennia, they have come to this beach to nest. And whereas other beaches in the UAE, maybe they have already been developed or been damaged, the turtles will not be able to return there. Do you want to all find a partner and then work in twos properly? You see the irrigation pipes where there's holes. That means the water will be dripping out there and we need to dig holes close to one of those irrigation points. Natalie plants the shrubs with her almost 100 helpers. Not very far from them, bulldozers tear down everything while Natalie fights for every shrub. She believes in her mission. I think originally the people here were very sustainable. Obviously, they lived in very harsh conditions and managed to do so for many centuries. Then with the newfound wealth, maybe they forgot a little bit about it, but you have to start somewhere. And I think any little change can be the beginning of a bigger change. And if you don't appreciate the small differences, then the big differences will never happen. That's what I think. Khalid has found his bird. Now he wants to take the bird to the desert and let him fly for the first time. My brother will be there as well. I have to show him my new falcon. Zayed, Khalid's big brother, is already waiting for him. Their greeting is warm and full of good wishes. I'll get my animal. Khalid's little brother has joined them as well. Look at this beautiful specimen. Zayed knows a lot about falcons, as he's had a few for quite some time. Khalid, as a beginner, values his opinion. That's a wild one. Look at those feathers. He's a very beautiful animal, with good talons as well, but you can see that he's wild. He's almost a fledgling. You need to train and teach him well. We'll see how he behaves today. In any case, congratulations. First hunting course in the desert. Zayed attached a few pigeon wings to a long stick. He wants to lure the bird with it. Khalid lets his new falcon fly about 100 meters away from him. Zayed isn't soft on the young falcon. He's supposed to learn not to let loose. He's afraid that I'll take it away from him. I've got this meat. Go take it. Khalid brought a chicken thigh. First he needs to hide it. Then there's the exchange. Fresh meat for old pigeon wings. At first I used to feed my falcons the meat of the hunted pigeons. But experience showed me that this isn't too good. Now they get a fresh chicken thigh, so I can be sure that they don't get sick. The first training with Khalid's new falcon is a success. Ramesh Bey and his crew prepare for departure. They've finished the fish traps just in time. Such a trip takes four to five days. Once we're back, we sell, clean and repair. And then we're off again. And that's how it goes. Suresh is busy at the stove. He needs to bake chapatis, Indian flatbread. Not just a few, but lots. All the fish traps need to be transported over the other boat's decks to Ramesh Bey's dhow. The captain personally supervises the storage of the fish traps. It may look simple, but things can go wrong. If they don't stack them correctly, we might have a problem. Because then not all the traps will fit on the roof. We should take all 30 of them with us. It wouldn't be good if we had to leave some behind. Most of the chapatis aren't food for the crew, but bait for the fish traps. The fish of the Persian Gulf love the flatbread from India. And so the fishing trip begins. Sometimes Ramesh Bey and his men sail out to the Indian Ocean. Their home, Gujarat, isn't too far then. But they'll only be able to see their families after another year, when they've earned enough money. Here, in Abu Dhabi, the island empire of the sheikhs.