Shokla's archive contains hundreds of thousands of images documenting the architectural renaissance in the UAE and its manifestations in the lives of its people. Every frame he captured was a testament to history, and every click of the camera shutter was a sign of his sincere devotion to the land he loved». Shokla arrived in Dubai in 1965 from Bombay, accompanied by a Rolleicord camera that his father had given him for his 15th birthday. He did not know then that this camera would be his gateway to history. In 1968, he had his first meeting with the sheikhs, as he mentioned in previous statements: «My first meeting with the sheikhs was when His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, a member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, invited me to attend the camel races in Sharjah in 1968. On that day, I saw most of the sheikhs of the UAE, and I was amazed when I saw the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul. I prostrated myself on the ground, pointed my camera at him, and called out to him, and I captured the iconic 1968 photograph for him. The next day, when I showed the photograph to Sheikh Zayed, he told me: 'You are an artist.' At that moment, I felt a happiness that cannot be described, and I decided never to leave this country». His meeting with the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, may God rest his soul, was a turning point in his life, as Sheikh Rashid provided him with the opportunity to accompany him on numerous occasions for photography and to fly on his personal helicopter to capture clearer and more comprehensive aerial shots of Dubai's landmarks and its development. The historic moment came on December 2, 1971, when he captured the iconic photograph of the rulers of the UAE during the declaration of the formation of the state, along with a collection of images that immortalized that pivotal event in the country's history. Shokla was not just a photographer; he was also a creative artist. He drew personal portraits of several sheikhs, and the painting he made of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul, was adopted by many government circles and institutions. The photograph he took of the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, may God rest his soul, was also used as a postage stamp. The Dubai Municipality derived its logo from one of his photographs, and the Dubai Metro is adorned with his images at its stations. The Union Building, whose hall witnessed the signing of the agreement to form the state, is decorated with numerous photographs he took during that historic occasion, alongside a vast archive documenting Dubai's landmarks and the stages of its development, as well as the UAE and its continuous developmental journey. After a journey of six decades of giving, photographer Ramesh Shokla passed away, leaving behind a rich legacy of memories he documented through his camera's lens, serving as a witness to the journey of Dubai and the UAE from its very beginning. His photographs will remain etched in the nation's memory, foremost among them the moment of the declaration of the formation of the United Arab Emirates in 1971 and the famous photograph that brings together the rulers of the UAE under the union flag. That same photograph adorns the new 50-dirham banknote, printed in 2021 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the country's founding. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, condoled the passing of photographer Ramesh Shokla, stating on his official account on the X platform: «We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Ramesh Shokla, who documented through his camera the journey of the UAE and its early beginnings, preserving for us and future generations the pivotal moments in the history of our precious nation and its visual memory. Shokla was one of the loyal and devoted who loved the land of the UAE and its people in his six decades of giving». In turn, Abdullah Al Hammadi, Chairman of the National Media Council, mourned the late photographer, saying in a post on his X account yesterday: «Sincere condolences to the family and friends of the Indian photographer Ramesh Shokla, who passed away, leaving behind a living visual legacy that documents the UAE's journey after he came to the country in 1965 and loved it so much that his soul became inhabited by its soil».
