We had the privilege and pleasure of listening to Mr Julian Walker as he gave a comprehensive account of the history of Abu Dhabi from the 1920’s until the 1950’s. Not only is he a scholar of UAE history, but he has also played a significant part in the important events of the period 1953-1971. He first arrived in Sharjah as a junior British official in late 1953, and in the following year became Assistant Political Officer in Dubai.
Mr Walker’s special task in the 1950’s was to solve the difficult problem of the boundaries between the Emirates. He is the greatest expert on this subject, and on many later occasions has advised the UAE government. In 1971, as Political Agent in Dubai, Mr Walker worked with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid to overcome the difficulties faced in the months before the establishment of the UAE. In later years, Mr Walker was British Ambassador to Yemen and then to Qatar, and in a busy career he also worked on a solution to the Iraq-Kuwait border question following the first Gulf War.
