Dubai: The Indian community in Dubai came together to remember one of the UAE’s most celebrated photographers and Indian expatriates, Shri Ramesh Shukla, whose lens helped document the birth and growth of a nation. A commemorative gathering was held at the India Club, attended by members of the Indian diaspora, the Indian Ambassador to the UAE and the Consul General of India in Dubai, who paid tribute to a man whose work became inseparable from the UAE’s own story. Shukla, who passed away last Sunday (February 15) at the age of 87, was widely known as the “royal photographer,” a title that, while unofficial, carried enormous weight.
His son Neel revealed it was the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum who first credited his father with that distinction. His most celebrated work was capturing the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan signing the declaration that formed the United Arab Emirates on December 2, 1971. On that same historic day, he also photographed what became known as the Spirit of the Union, the founding leaders standing together before the UAE flag moments after signing the document that created the nation. Both photographs are today immortalised on the 50 dirham currency note.
Diaspora members at the gathering spoke warmly of Shukla’s contribution, saying his photographs were not merely images but living history that connected generations to the UAE’s founding moments. His extensive collection, documenting the country from the 1960s onwards, is permanently displayed at both the Zayed National Museum and the Etihad Museum. Shukla is survived by his wife Tarun and son Neel.
