David Heard, a pioneering oil engineer and author from Abu Dhabi, who has been a significant contributor to the city's petroleum industry and history since 1963, passed away in a Munich hospital on Friday after a courageous battle with cancer. The British national will be laid to rest in Wales in the coming days, with his family planning a memorial service in his honor in Abu Dhabi upon their return.

Born in 1939, Heard was deeply passionate about exploration, adventure, and literature. He continued to enthusiastically share his knowledge and expertise until just two weeks before his passing. On October 9, he presented his latest book, 'Oil at Last' – the sixth installment in the series he began in 2011 titled 'From Pearls to Oil' – to an audience of over 50 people in Munich, including the UAE Consul in Germany.

"The event was held at a large bookstore in the heart of Munich; David was still able to speak, and he shared many fascinating stories, commenting with great humor on selected photos from his journey that were displayed on the walls," recounted his wife, Frauke Heard-Bey.

"It was a significant event, and he managed it with energy, but just ten days later, the cancer had taken its toll, and he passed away on Friday." During his 61 years in the capital, Heard relished exploring the emirates' deserts, seas, and cultural events. When asked where he most enjoyed spending his time, his wife replied: "Certainly not in the city – in the desert."

When Heard-Bey joined her husband in the UAE in 1967, she recalled that sand dunes were right behind their compound. "We used to have a dog, and on Fridays, we would take the dog for a run in the desert." Their last desert trip in Abu Dhabi was in 2023. Heard was an adventurer at heart and maintained his passion for the outdoors throughout his life.

"We participated and integrated a lot with what Abu Dhabi offers. We spent a lot of time at sea; we had one of the first small speedboats imported to Abu Dhabi, which we frequently used to cruise around the island. We also did a lot of hiking between Abu Dhabi and Oman." More recently, they enjoyed attending cultural events at New York University Abu Dhabi and visiting the country's modern developments.

When Heard arrived in Abu Dhabi in 1963 to work as a petroleum engineer for Abu Dhabi Petroleum Company, "it was his first job straight out of university, and he stayed with them until he retired; we spent most of our lives here." The couple continued to consider Abu Dhabi their home over the years, and Heard-Bey plans to return to their home in Al Bateen after the burial.

Even after her husband was diagnosed with cancer, she mentioned that they would have preferred to receive treatment in Abu Dhabi, "but the cancer he had was very unique and not commonly treated, so we were advised to go to Munich where they are more specialized in treating it; but even they could not treat it."

During the last 20 years of his life, Heard spent most of his time writing his books. An established historian from Germany who served for several years at the National Archive of Abu Dhabi, Heard-Bey closely followed her husband's literary work, providing assistance when possible.

While the couple visited several destinations across the world, including South Africa, Chile, Germany, Finland, and Norway, she mentioned that Heard recently expressed his regret for not having the time to see more of Europe and Britain. She said, apart from visiting their families in the summer, they did not do a lot of exploration travel during their first three decades here.

When asked to describe her late husband's best qualities, she said: "His loyalty, and that he was just wonderful. He was a person of few words, but when he said something, it always had meaning." "I will miss him altogether and all the time; he did not want to give up, he was fighting and optimistic until the end," she added tearfully.

She recalled an incident during his last book presentation earlier this month, when he turned to his publisher and said: 'I have a surprise for you; my next book, much of it is already on my computer'; "so maybe this best describes his spirit," she said.

Heard is survived by his daughters Miriam and Theresa, and his son Nicolas.

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