There was a time when no self-respecting Gulf city would be seen without a giant concrete coffeepot. Those days have gone, for better or for worse, but a little reminder of the pioneering days of oil riches and the city development they brought can be seen in the traffic island between the World Trade Center and Etisalat buildings.
The five concrete monuments show a date cover, incense burner, rose water shaker, coffeepot and fort, symbolising the traditions of hospitality and Bedouin culture at the heart of Emirati life, together with the impulse to safeguard the land from marauding seafaring invaders.