Years before smartphones made cameras an integral part of everyday life, Sheikha Jassim Al Suwaidi photographed Dubai’s people, neighbourhoods and daily scenes with a camera that cost her just 10 dirhams.

According to Al Bayan newspaper, she began taking photographs in the 1950s, when cameras were rare and photography was not as widely accessible as it is today.

What began as a seemingly simple personal interest later developed into a valuable visual record of a society on the cusp of sweeping change.

Recognised as the UAE’s first female photographer, Al Suwaidi began by photographing those closest to her, including family members, children and neighbours. Among her works, a portrait of her mother always held a special place.

Her range of subjects gradually expanded to include traditional homes, old neighbourhoods, markets, the sea, nature and the faces of ordinary people. Decades later, these images offer a rare glimpse of Dubai before its far-reaching urban and economic transformation.

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🟡 Capturing the Memory of a City

Al Suwaidi did not initially take up photography with the aim of formally documenting history. However, as time passed and the city’s landscape changed, the historical and social value of her work grew.

As many old buildings disappeared, neighbourhoods changed and lifestyles evolved, her archive became a visual record of an era that younger generations of Emiratis never experienced firsthand—when the sea, traditional homes, neighbourhoods and old markets were central to everyday life in Dubai.

The significance of Al Suwaidi’s photographs extends beyond their artistic value. Her images offer an informal account of society, capturing ordinary moments in people’s lives away from official ceremonies and major events.

Her camera documented not only places but also the rhythm of daily life in Dubai before the transformation that would later turn the city into a major global hub.

🟡 A Photography Pioneer Before the Digital Age

Al Suwaidi’s place in the history of photography in the UAE stems not only from being the first, but also from the circumstances in which she began her career.

She entered the field decades before the establishment of specialist institutions and photography schools, and before the advent of digital technology, at a time when learning photography and pursuing it professionally were far more difficult than they are today.

Over time, Al Suwaidi became known as the “Mother of Photographers,” a title reflecting both her pioneering status and her influence on later generations of Emirati photographers.

Her work also received national recognition in 2014, when she was honoured as the first Emirati female photographer under the UAE Pioneers initiative.

The recognition placed her among a generation of Emiratis whose early entry into lesser-known fields paved the way for those who followed.