From a fisherman’s village to an opulent metropolis, Dubai has come a long way to gain its current stature. In the 1970s, Dubai was in for a big surprise since the discovery of oil brought to the Emirate enormous growth and reputation as an emerging getaway for the whole MENA region.
800 members of the Bani Yas tribe, led by the Maktoum Family, settled at the mouth of the creek in 1833. The creek was a natural harbour and Dubai soon became a regional hub. The souk (Arabic for market) on the Deira side of the creek was the largest on the coast with 350 shops and a steady throng of visitors and businessmen. By the 1930s Dubai’s population was nearly 20,000, a quarter of whom were expatriates. As a result, Dubai’s appeal to foreign cultures and nationalities is somewhat a tradition that has travelled through the years, turning the city into a crossroad of civilisations.