If we delve into the ancient history of this area the archaeological finds suggest that humans have been living here since at least 3000 BC. Excavations at Jumeirah, south of Dubai, recently discovered a 6th-century caravan station, proving that the area's population was keeping the trade routes alive during this period. Around the same time, the Sassanids, a Persian dynasty who had inhabited the mouth of Dubai Creek since 224 AD, were driven out by the Umayyads, who came to stay and brought Islam with them
The second largest emirate of the seven emirates that form the United Arab Emirates, Dubai is located on the southern shore of the Arabian Gulf. A peninsula surrounded by sea on three sides, it has an area of some 3,900 square kilometers. What once was a small, largely uninhabited fishing settlement today is the fastest growing city in the world, an icon of style and luxury that sets the standard for tourism, business opportunity and quality of life.
This small fishing settlement was taken over around 1830 by a branch of the Bani Yas tribe from the Liwa oasis led by the Maktoum family — the family who still rule the emirate today.
Traditional activities of this desert kingdom included herding sheep and goats, cultivating dates, fishing and diving for pearls and pearl polishing, but interestingly, over the years, trade became the mainstay of the local inhabitants. By the turn of the century, Dubai was reputed to have the largest souk (traditional markets) on the Gulf coast, with about 350 shops in the Deira district alone.
This commercial growth, in addition to the liberal attitudes of Dubai's rulers, made the emirate attractive to traders from India and Iran, who by now had begun settling down in this growing town. It was in 1971 that Dubai came together with Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and (in 1972) Ras Al Khaimah to create what is today known across the world as the federation of the United Arab Emirates. This was shortly after the discovery of oil in 1966, which was to transform the emirate and placed it firmly on the world map. Dubai's first oil exports in 1969 were followed by a period of rapid development that laid the foundations for today's modern society.
A majority of the credit for this development can be traced to the vision of the late Ruler, H.H. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, who ensured that Dubai's oil revenues, despite being relatively modest by the standards of the region, were intelligently invested and reinvested to help promote sustained development. His work has been admirably carried on by successive rulers and today, it is His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai who is building Dubai into a global hub for business and leisure. With this end in mind, Dubai is continually developing infrastructure, transport facilities, schools, hospitals, tourism, hotels and other amenities that propel the far-reaching vision of the emirate into motion.
