by Andre Sanchez

Dubai has not always been surrounded by sandy desert, as a study of a history of Dubai would reveal.  In fact, if you consider the amount of oil available in the earth beneath the Middle East in general, then the whole area must have been highly forested for many millions of years.

There is evidence that the area has been inhabited since 8000 BC, though nothing has been found recorded until the first known history of the area in the early part of the first millennium.  It is know that in the 7th century believers of the prophet began spreading Islam in the region, but there is no true recorded history until the outside world began to enter the area and make records.

In the 16th century, the Portuguese, English and Dutch were active in the area since the waters around this part of the gulf were used as part of the trading route between Europe and the East. The Persian Gulf was also a good source of pearls, and Europeans were known to have traded with the indigenous population around this time.  It was the British East India Company that primarily used this route, since the subcontinent lay just east of the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf became an important part of the Company’s trading route.  In fact, the area around today’s Dubai was used as part of the slave route until slavery was made illegal in the nineteenth century.

The first known written indication of the existence of a place known as Dubai was found in the writings of a 16th century jeweller, Gasparo Balbi, who makes reference to a small fishing community known as ‘Dibei’.  There are no further known references to this part of the Gulf coast until the activities of the pirates of the day led to it being known as the “Pirate Coast”.  This is when the known recorded history of the area began.  The British persuaded the coastal sheiks of what is now Oman to sign a pact guaranteeing that they would halt piracy in exchange for Britain agreeing to cease interfering in the administration of their own regions.

This was in 1820, and the Sheikh of Dubai was one of those that signed the agreement.  In 1833, the Maktoum family of Abu Dhabi took control of Dubai and still rule to this day.  The fact that Dubai was ruled by a member of the family that also ruled Abu Dhabi led to an uneasy truce between the two that again lasts to this day in the UAE.  The Trucial States came into being through the signing of a truce with the British in 1853 and Dubai began to grow.

The Dubai Creek that splits Dubai in two proved extremely useful in the 19th century as a natural harbor that made the town ideal for entrepôt trade.  That is trade whereby ships could unload cargo and sell it to others to carry it on to its final destination without paying any import and export duties. In fact, Dubai became a center for this type of trade that helped to bolster its economy.

Another important part of the economy of Dubai at that time was the pearl trade.  The Gulf’s waters and climate were ideal for pearl oysters and traders came from India and further east, and it did not take long for Dubai to serious they rival Abu Dhabi as the major town in Persian Gulf. The pearl trade was to die out later due to cheap Japanese imports.

Over the next hundred years or so Dubai continued to flourish as a major port in the route from Europe to the east, and the First World War did not materially affect it. As oil was discovered in other Middle Eastern states, it was not in the Trucial States and when the pearl market slumped, Dubai maintained its economy only through the Creek and its port. The presence of Britain was increased during and after the Second World War when the strategic significance of the port was recognized, and in 1952 the Trucial States Council was created, that would eventually lead to the United Arab Emirates.

Sheikh Saeed, who had ruled Dubai for 46 years, died in 1958 and was succeeded by his oldest son, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed al-Maktoum who was instrumental in modernizing the emirate.  He created a police force, built roads and the international airport, and generally made Dubai a modern city.  The dredging of the Creek during the turn of the 60s and 70s decades enabled large vessels to enter Dubai and the Jebel Ali Free Zone was inaugurated in 1979 that allowed international businesses to invest with no taxation and 100% ownership of their companies, that was not possible previously.

The withdrawal of the British from the area in 1968 led to the Trucial States forming the United Arab Emirates in July, 1971, and Dubai continued to grow in spite of its lack of reliance on its oil industry that was never a very large part of its economy. A massive influx of immigrants from India and Indonesia provided a labor force that would completely transform the city.

Sheikh Rashid died in 1990 to be replaced by his eldest son Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al-Maktoum who ruled until his death in 2006. He was succeeded by his brother Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who had been responsible for Dubai’s improving economic strength.

Dubai has continued to grow throughout the first part of the 21st century, and is recognized as the fastest growing city in the world.  It is the epitome of modern architectural growth and design and has broken many records and made many unique advances in engineering design, such as the reclamation of the part of the Gulf into the magnificent  Palm Jumeirah, the world’s largest man-made island with its residential areas and super 5 star plus luxury hotel complexes.

The history of Dubai is one of poor man made good, and the city is now the fastest growing and one of the richest in the world:  all achieved without the need for the massive oil revenues that you associate with the Middle East.  

A Brief History of Dubai was originally published at http://www.globallifenow.com