Under a blazing sun, far from the skyscrapers and SUVs of modern Dubai, hundreds of enthusiasts took to Gulf waters in traditional wooden vessels, keen to preserve an ancient heritage.

Around Sir Bu Nair, a teardrop-shaped island roughly 100km from both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, two of seven kingdoms that make up the United Arab Emirates, 118 teams raced dhows, the sailboats that have plied the Arabian peninsula’s waters for centuries.