Some people just amaze you. A cab driver who is a trained archeologist from Sana’a in Dubai gave me a 30 minute crash course on Arab History including dynamics in Yemen to Iran via Oman. He recognised my roots in Oman when I started speaking Arabic with him and he said are you from Oman?

He gave me the genealogy of people in the Arab world and explained the very complex terrain of contemporary Yemeni politics and who supports whom from Al Mahra to Jizan, in present day Saudi Arabia.

As a person trained in History from Yemen and Germany, he was perceptive and downright smart. He said ‘the purpose of history is to discover our shared heritage’ which speaks to the crisis prone region he comes from.

He plans to do his PhD and discussed his research theme as well. I wish him well.

Dubai Cabbies are a class of their own; Knowledgeable and thorough.

#mydubai