David Heard and his wife, Frauke Heard-Bey, who will also be in attendance at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, have experienced first-hand the dramatic transformation of the region.
After retirement, intrigued by stories and historical accounts given by colleagues over the years, Heard decided to embark on a journey to gather information about effect of the discovery of oil on the local people. This task was carried out by delving into the archives of the Abu Dhabi Petroleum Company (ADPC), and extensive research.
The result was From Pearls to Oil, which includes never-before-published copies of letters, notes and reports, in addition to rare photographs, maps and the author’s in-depth narrative.