Donkeys played an important role in Dubai as it used to be
They transported fuel and fresh water around the town
Donkeys were also used for personal transport
Events in Dubai in early 1970s were often beyond anyone's imagination
Yet people took these sometimes dramatic events in their stride.
They continued with their daily life as if nothing extraordinary had happened.
Here is one such remarkable and almost unbelievable event
It happened to an ordinary working Expatriate and his family in mid 1970s.
Every word is true - believe me!
Paul's wife called. "Paul, there's a Mad Monkey on our roof. It's trying to get into our house".
Paul listened. "It's really mad - spitting and snarling - throwing itself against our window -the kids are frightened silly".
Paul was home in minutes.
Home was a small villa off Jumeirah Beach Road.
Paul took one look at the monkey sitting on the roof and decided the Police were needed.
Paul jumped into his car and took off for Jumeirah Police Station. As Paul later said " How could I explain there was a mad monkey on our Villa roof over the telephone to a Dubai Policeman? He probably didn't speak much English and I didn't speak Arabic !"
At Jumeirah Police Station, Paul explained the situation to the Duty Officer.
The Duty Officer's eyes slowly glazed over, thought for a moment then asked,"How did the donkey get on your roof?" "Not a Donkey - a Monkey!" Paul answered.
Now the Duty Officer understood and immediately shouted instructions. Duty Sergeant disappeared then reappeared holding a length of rope and two bananas. Paul pointed out the Monkey was more intent on biting Paul's children than any banana.
Duty Officer understood, shouted more orders then told Paul to "Follow me" which Paul did - out of the Police Station to a waiting Police Landrover. Duty Sergeant was already in the front with the Driver - in the back were six Policemen, each carrying a rifle. Officer told Paul "We will follow you".
Paul set off for his Villa in Jumeirah closely followed by a Police convoy with their sirens blaring and blue lights flashing.
Arriving outside Paul's Villa, the Sergeant and his six Policemen leapt out of their Landrover.
Building a boat in Paul's back yard.
Sergeant spotted the Monkey sitting on the Villa's roof above Paul's front door. Unlike the ordinary Policeman, the Sergeant had an automatic weapon.
He raised his weapon and sent a hail of bullets towards the monkey, leaving a trail of bullet holes up the side of Paul's Villa. The Sergeant missed the Monkey which then took off for the safety of Paul's back yard.
Officer drew his pistol, waived his men to "Follow me" (in Arabic of course) then set off for Paul's back yard. Paul's villa was one of four built back to back with adjoining garden walls. Each Villa had concrete window boxes under every window. The window boxes were empty. No one had ever planted anything in these boxes. Now they provided ideal shelter for a mad Monkey seeking refuge from pursuing armed Policemen.
Now and again the monkey leapt from one window box to the next. Each move brought another hail of gunfire from the Policemen's weapons - but to no effect apart from more bullets holes in the Villa's walls. The Monkey also sought refuge in Paul's neighbours' windows boxes bounding across garden walls accompanied by guns firing and the zing of flying bullets.
Inside the villa, Paul and his family heard the sporadic gunfire and felt the thud of bullets hitting the wall.
"Stay away from the windows" Paul shouted when curiosity got the better of Paul's children. Then came a long silence eventually broken by a loud knock on Paul's front door.
It was the Officer - with a broad smile - "The Monkey is dead - we shot it". To say Paul was relieved is an understatement. Paul thanked the Officer and his men. After handshakes and laughter all round Paul said his farewells and closed the front door.
Minutes later there was another knock on the front door. It was the Police Officer again. This time he was holding the dead Monkey aloft by its tail. "Could you please take a photograph?". The Officer produced a camera. Six smiling Policemen, one smiling Sergeant and one jubilant Officer lined up on Paul's front porch with the Officer holding the dead monkey high in the air by its tail. Paul took the photo. Handshakes and Farewells all round again then the Police departed happily.
Paul forgot to ask for a copy of the photo, which was a shame really.
A photo would have made it easier to convince his friends the "Monkey on the Roof" story was true
No! Not a Donkey - a Monkey!
A tall story? The Villas were still there in 2003.
Last time I looked the bullets holes in the walls were still there too!
Sadly, the Villas have since been demolished - along with the bullet holes!