Asian Time Zone

Dubai City Overview

Looking at the Dubai skyline today, it’s hard to imagine that just a century ago there was no running water and no real streets in the city, and that camels were the main form of transportation.

Today Dubai is an almost epic place of superlatives, where a human vision of the future becomes truth piece by piece.

The United Arab Emirates are extremely popular with foreign tourists who are intoxicating with the endless sandy beaches along the Persian Gulf, the many tax-free shops and the wide range of entertainment.

Unprecedented construction projects such as the largest indoor ski facility in the world, Palm Islands with artificial islands such as Jumeirah in the form of palm trees, the Burj Chalifa, inaugurated in 2010 (at 828 m, by far the tallest building on earth, which also houses a hotel) or that largest shopping center in the world, the Dubai Mall, has already been realized. The landmark of the city, however, is the 321 m high Hotel Burj al Arab, which resembles an inflated sail. It is the tallest pure hotel building and the first seven-star hotel in the world.

Dubai’s remarkable success story is basically based on only one essential ingredient – the oil – which was literally discovered in 1966. A few years later, the emirate freed itself from British colonial rule and sealed its independence.

When Dubai received billions of dollars in oil sales, the basis for a rapid rise to immense prosperity was given. It was wise to use this money to expand the infrastructure and create a city that reflects the level of oil prosperity.

Contrary to popular belief, oil in modern Dubai today only makes up 10% of the economy, because the emirate also developed trade, service, finance, light industry and tourism. In addition to the oil business, tourism is now the most important pillar of the economy.

Behind the shiny facade of modern Dubai, however, you can still enjoy the beguiling enjoyment of an exotic past, regardless of whether you smoke a shisha pipe in the desert in a Bedouin camp amidst wandering dunes or on board a hundred-year-old dhow (Arabian merchant ship ) dreams of the days when there were more camels than people in Dubai.

Because of the abundance of sunshine and the abundance of good restaurants and hotels in all price ranges, the number of visitors increases every year.

Important facts

Area code: +971 4

Population: 2789000

Latitude: 25.271267

Longitude: 55.328989

Weather in Dubai

The weather in Dubai is fantastic almost all the time, although the heat in summer (late April to early September) can be extremely extreme, making it difficult to stay outside, away from air-conditioned cars and buildings. But the city planners always come up with something, so Dubai is probably the only city in the world where you can ski on a black slope in the snow at 50 ° C outside temperature.

Those who plan extensive sunbathing and trips to the desert should postpone their visit to the milder winter months. Dubai is a popular travel destination, especially during the long, cold Northern European and American winters. The Dubai Shopping Festival (January / February) takes place during this time, which is why the city is full of bargain hunters and party goers.

City History of Dubai

Dubai’s history may not be as extensive as that of some countries in the Middle East, such as Egypt or Jordan, but the development of the city from a small pearl fishing village to a modern commercial metropolis is a fascinating story, which can be seen in the Dubai Museum in downtown Bur Dubai is shown in numerous black and white photos.

Dubai was only founded in 1833 when about 800 members of the Bani Yas tribe, led by the Maktum family, settled on Dubai Creek. During the 19th century, before the oil was discovered, the creek’s natural harbor was the city’s commercial engine. Dubai established itself as a center for anglers, pearl fishermen and the sea trade. Even today, old ‘Daus’ still run between Dubai Creek, Asia and Africa.

At the end of the 19th century, Dubai had developed into a thriving port city. The souk (Arabic for “market”) on the Deira side of the creek was the largest market on the coast with 350 shops. There was a constant throng of visitors and business people. In the 1930s, almost 20,000 people lived in Dubai, a quarter of whom were foreigners.

In the 1950s, the creek threatened to silt up, which was probably a result of the increasing number of ships entering the harbor. The then ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, decided to dredge the waterway. It was an ambitious and costly undertaking, but it was ultimately a visionary one. The measures resulted in higher goods handling and strengthened Dubai’s position as an important hub for trade and re-export.

When the oil was discovered in 1966, Sheikh Rashid used the oil revenue to drive the development of infrastructure in Dubai. A new deep-sea port and the first terminal building at Dubai Airport were built. He also had the runway extended so that any type of plane could fly to the airport. There were two major developments in 1985: the world’s largest man-made port, surrounded by a free trade zone, was built in Jebel Ali, and the Emirates airline took off for the first time.

Dubai’s development formula was obvious – visionary leadership, quality infrastructure, an emigrant-friendly environment, no corporation tax or personal income tax, and low import duties. The result was that Dubai quickly became an economic and tourism center for a region that extended from Egypt to the Indian subcontinent and from South Africa to the CIS countries.

Since the 1960s, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, then ruler of Abu Dhabi, and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum had a vision to create a federation of the Emirates in the region. Their idea was realized in 1971 when the city gained independence from British colonial rule and Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, around Al Quwain, Fujairah and (1972) Ras Al Khaimah merged to form the United Arab Emirates.