Yonks back in 1970 I remember driving through Umm al Quain (spelling?), a very scenic group of a few houses and barusti, the date leaf huts. many fish traps. Nice place but seemed very impoverished. Dirt road.
Later in Khasab, about 1983, I mentioned Khor Fakkan to the pilot of the SOAF 205 we were in, Jonathan P. How the village was OK for visit, no electricity 20 houses and only the mosque had power at times. Good swimming on the beach.
He took me so we could see Khor Fakkan from the air. What a change, a major city. Big areas laid out for building more houses.
Yes the Middle East has certainly grown from my first days there at age 20.