(CNN)-- There are plenty of activities one can do in the UAE to enjoy their time, but for Emirati photographer Mohamed Hamad, enjoyment doesn't require much; he prefers to wander around the city of Al Ain, where he grew up, capturing hidden corners of the city.

The Emirati photographer said in an interview with CNN Arabic: "I never get bored during my tours around the city, especially because I always discover corners and places I didn't know existed before, as if Al Ain hides its details for those who contemplate it well."

Photographer Mohamed Hamad believes that the Emirati city of Al Ain has a special beauty in its details.Credit: Mohamed Hamad/@streetsofalain

Hamad does not keep the details he sees to himself; he decided to document what he sees and share it through an Instagram page with a project he called "Streets of Al Ain" (شوارع العين), aiming to document the memory of the old city.

A step back

Hamad decided to document the city's details on an Instagram page called "Streets of Al Ain".Credit: Mohamed Hamad/@streetsofalain

Since childhood, Hamad's passion for photography began to form, influenced by a camera his mother owned, through which she documented family moments.

The Emirati photographer said: "We used to go back and watch those clips with the family, as if they brought back beautiful moments from the past."

Hamad tends to document old buildings and doors in particular.Credit: Mohamed Hamad/@streetsofalain

But the real shift came with the beginning of the millennium, when he discovered photo-sharing platforms like Flickr, and began to see how a picture can tell a story.

That later encouraged him to launch the "Streets of Al Ain" account, inspired by an account documenting details of the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi.

Thus began the journey of documenting old doors, weathered walls, and neighborhoods that bear the features of another era.

The art of observation

Credit: Mohamed Hamad/@streetsofalain

Despite the simplicity of the scenes, the message behind each picture is profound.

Hamad explained that "beauty exists in everything around us, but it only requires contemplation and attention. It might be an old door, a chair in a quiet corner, or children playing in the street."

Among the scenes closest to his heart is a place where he used to sit with his relatives after buying sweets from the grocery store during childhood days.

This place formed a central space in Hamad's and his relatives' lives during childhood.Credit: Mohamed Hamad/@streetsofalain

The Emirati photographer said: "The place still exists today, and I always like to pass by it from time to time, especially because it carries a large part of our memory."

Credit: Mohamed Hamad/@streetsofalain

Hamad's trips to document photos in Al Ain often do not include a specific plan, as he said: "I like to sometimes go out without a specific destination, and take tours in various areas of Al Ain, and during these tours I find many details and places worth documenting."

With Al Ain being chosen as the Gulf Tourism Capital for 2025 and the Arab Tourism Capital for 2026, his sense of the importance of documentation increases, as for him, each picture includes an attempt to preserve the identity of a changing city.

He explained: "Some of these places may not remain one day, and documenting them means preserving a part of the city's memory and its small details that perhaps many do not notice."