User:Dottydotdot/workpage/History of Dubai

The Sheikh Zayed Road in July 1981

The Sheikh Zayed Road in 2004

The history of Dubai began in approximately 3000 BC, when the area was inhabited by Nomadic cattle herders. In the 3rd century, the area came under the control of the Sassanic Empire which lasted until the 7th century, when the Umayyan's took control and introduced Islam to the area. The area was sustained by fishing & pearl diving for a thousand years, with the first records of the town being made in 1799 when the Bani Yas clan established it as a dependent of Abu-Dhabi. Dubai then became independent in 1833, when the al Maktoum dynasty of Abu-Dhabi took it over peacefully. The Great Depression in 1929 caused a collapse in the pearl market, leading to Dubai becoming one of the leading re-export ports in the world. In 1966, oil was discovered in Dubai, which changed the country beyond recognition & led to Dubai becoming the vibrant, modern, business-centred city it is today.

Early History

Records of the area where the emirate of Dubai is situated are very rare for any period before the 18th century. During the expansion of the Sheikh Zayed Road between 1993 & 1998, remnants of a mangrove swamp were uncovered which were dated to approximately 7000 BC. It's thought that by about 3000 BC, the coastline had moved inland sufficiently towards the present day coastline & the area became covered in sand. As it became more inhabitable, Nomadic cattle herders used the area to live & herd in. The date palm, on which the Palm Islands are based, began to be grown in 2500 BC & was the first instance of the land being used for agricultural purposes. The herders worshipped the idol god Bajir & various evidence suggests links to the mysterious Magan civilisation, who it is thought controlled the copper trade of the ancient world. For the next 4000 years there are no more details, probably because of the desertification of the area, until the area came under the control of the Sassanian Empire, the last pre-Islamic Iranian Empire, in the 3rd century. Recent excavations of the Jumeirah area of Dubai have unearthed a 6th century caravan station suggesting the area was inhabited, though sparsely during this period. The introduction of Islam in the 7th century by the Umayyads, regarded as the first Muslim dynasty, ensured the religion of the area remained Islam until the present day.

7th century - 1800

The arrival of the Umayyads sparked the re energisation of the area, opening up old trade routes, supported by fishing & pearl diving, with reports of ships travelling as far as China to trade. The earliest written mention of the area of Dubai was in 1095, by Abū 'Ubayd 'Abd Allāh al-Bakrī, in his book, 'Mojam Ma Ostojam men Asmae Al belaad wal Mawadhea', in which he describes many places of the world taken from other people's accounts of them, but it wasn't until 1799 that the town had its first record. However the Venetian, Gaspero Balbi, a renowned pearl merchant, when visiting in 1580, remarked on the area & how many Venetians were working there in the pearl industry.

1800 - 1966

1800 - 1912

In the early 19th century, the Al Abu Falasa clan (part of the House of Al-Falasi) of the Bani Yas clan established Dubai, which remained a dependent of Abu Dhabi until 1833. On 8 January 1820, the sheikh of Dubai and other sheikhs in the region signed the "General Maritime Peace Treaty" with the British government, which aimed to end plundering & piracy in the region & was the first formal denunciation of the slave trade in history. However, in 1833, the Al Maktoum dynasty (also descendants of the House of Al-Falasi) of the Bani Yas tribe left the settlement of Abu Dhabi and took over Dubai from the Abu Fasala clan without resistance, led by Maktoum bin Butti, the founder of the present day al-Maktoum dynasty. In 1841 the town was hit by a devestating smallpox outbreak which forced many to relocate east to the town of Deira. Then in 1894, a fire swept through Deira, burning down most of the homes, however perfect geographical positioning & healty, thriving business led Sheikh Maktoum to sign an exclusive business deal with the British in 1892, making Dubai a British protectorate, & in 1894, granted full tax exemption for all foreign traders. By 1903, the Sheikh had succeeded in convincing a major British steamship line to make Dubai a port of call. At this time, almost a quarter of the population was foreign, which seems trivial when compared to the 90% it is today.

1912 - 1958

After various rulers, Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum who became Emir in 1912, was the first Emir to rule for a substantial period of time & is regarded by many as one of the fathers of Dubai. The times of prosperity thanks to the pearl industry continued solidly through until the Great Depression of 1929. The emergence of artificial pearls had begun to hit the economy of Dubai, & coupled with the effects of the depression caused the Sheikh to explore other opportunities for expansion. In 1929, he was briefly deposed & succeeded by Sheikh Mani bin Rashid, an uncle, however three days later he was restored to the throne & ruled until his death. This resulted in the emergence of Dubai as the premier re-export business port, whereby goods are imported into a duty-free port & immediately exported to another market.

1958 - 1966

In 1958, upon the death of Saeed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum became Emir. Rashid al Maktoum is widely regarded as the driving force behind the expansion of Dubai, causing its massive expansion, with the aid of the discovery of oil. The dredging of Dubai Creek in 1963, enabling any boat to dock, caused the gold re-export market to take off, ensuring Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum was able to begin the building of vital infrastructure in partnership with the British. Since the beginning, Dubai was constantly at odds with Abu Dhabi. In 1947, a border dispute between Dubai & Abu Dhabi on their northern border erupted into war between the two states & forced the involvement of the British & the subsequent creation of a buffer zone which resulted in a temporary ceasefire. However, border disputes between the emirates continued even after the formation of the UAE & it was only in 1979 that a formal compromise was reached that ended hostilities between the two states, by allowing Abu Dhabi the control of the rest of the UAE, while leaving Dubai to rule many of its own affairs, especially when related to trade.

1966 - Present Day

The discovery of oil

The major turning point in the history & fortunes of Dubai was the discovery of oil in 1966. Coupled with the joining of the newly independent country of Qatar & Dubai to create a new currency, the Riyal, after the devaluation of the Persian Gulf rupee which had been issued by the Government of India, it enabled Dubai to rapidly expand & grow. Once the first shipment of oil was made in 1969, the future of Dubai as an autonomous state was secured.

The formation of the UAE

Britain left the Persian Gulf in the early part of 1971, having announced their intentions in 1968, causing Dubai & Abu-Dhabi, in conjunction with five other emirates to form the United Arab Emirates. Dubai & Abu-Dhabi ensured in the negotiations that between them they could control the country effectively, enabling even greater expansion as seen today. In 1973, Dubai joined the other emirates, in introducing the UAE dirham, the uniform currency of the UAE. The Jebel Ali Free Zone was introduced in 1979, providing companies with unrestricted import of labour & export of capital, which helped to jumpstart the influx of global companies seen today.

1990 - present day

The current Emir, Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum

The death of Sheikh Rashid al-Maktoum resulted in the accesion of Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum to the throne & since then, Dubai has taken on more of a role in global politics, aligning itself with the West. The Persian Gulf War of 1990, in which Dubai as part of the UAE provided military aid to the coalition, unsettled the economy, however during the middle of the 1990's this stabilised & many foreign trading communities moved their businesses to Dubai. During the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, Dubai provided refueling bases to allied forces in the Jebel Ali free zone as they did during the Persian Gulf War. Global increases in oil prices allowed Dubai to focus on rapid development of key infrastructure. The success of the Jebel Ali free zone caused the development of clusters of new free zones, including Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City & Dubai Maritime City. In the past decades, Dubai has become known for its ambitious building projects, including the Burj Al Arab, the world's tallest freestanding hotel, The Palm Islands & The World Islands & Burj Dubai. In 2006, upon the death of Sheikh Maktoum al-Maktoum, his brother, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum became Emir.

The economic depression has hit Dubai extremely hard, due to its dependence on tourism & building which has led to many newspaper reports of construction slowing & in some cases stopping altogether. In an effort to combat the recession, Dubai has announced various tax cutting measures to incentivise businesses in the region.

Rulers of Dubai

A simplified family tree of the al-Maktoum family

The following is a list of rulers of Dubai, Al Abu Falasa dynasty, going back at least to 1833.

• ... - 9 June 1833 Sheikh `Ubayd ibn Said
• 9 June 1833 - 1852 Sheikh Maktoum I ibn Bati ibn Suhayl (d. 1852)
• 1852 - 1859 Sheikh Said I ibn Bati (d. 1859)
• 1859 - 22 November 1886 Sheikh Hushur ibn Maktoum (d. 1886)
• 22 November 1886 - 7 April 1894 Sheikh Rashid I ibn Maktoum (d. 1894)
• 7 April 1894 - 16 February 1906 Sheikh Maktoum II ibn Hushur (b. 18.. - d. 1906)
• 16 February 1906 - November 1912 Sheikh Bati ibn Suhayl (b. 1851 - d. 1912)
• November 1912 - 15 April 1929 Sheikh Saeed II bin Maktum (1st time) (b. 1878 - d. 1958)
• 15 April 1929 - 18 April 1929 Sheikh Mani ibn Rashid
• 18 April 1929 - September 1958 Sheikh Saeed II bin Maktum (2nd time)
• September 1958 - 7 October 1990 Sheikh Rashid II ibn Said Al Maktoum (b. 1912 - d. 1990)
• 7 October 1990 - 4 January 2006 Sheikh Maktoum III bin Rashid Al Maktoum (b. 1943 - d. 2006)
• 4 January 2006 - Present Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (b. 1949)

The current ruler of Dubai is Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Like his predecessor, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, he is also the Vice President and the Prime Minister of the UAE.