Before the Language Arrived

Oasis Hospital brought two ambitions together in Al Ain: Sheikh Zayed’s ambition to bring modern healthcare to his people, and the missionaries’ ambition to provide medicine while spreading Christianity. Their aims differed, yet the hospital became a space where trust grew across religious differences.

My Laidlaw research explores how that trust was built, and where its religious and social boundaries remained, using archival evidence, missionary writings, and Emirati oral histories.

At its heart is a simple distinction: religious acceptance did not require religious adoption.

📖 The QR code on the poster links to my full research paper, including the methodology, archival evidence, oral histories, and references. I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions, or connections to similar histories. Please feel free to reach out!