Dubai News & Festival Information

What On Earth Is A Dubai?

Dubai used to be little more than dunes at the foot of the barren Hajar Mountains and a small fishing village with a few residents eking out a living in the harsh desert. Today it is a thriving metropolis filled with the finest hotels and entertainment, state of the art infrastructures and beautiful beaches framed by a warm ocean.

Perhaps the most fantastic accomplishment of Dubai is the Palm Islands, man-made islands that attract millions of tourists each year to Dubai. What was once a wasteland has become the finest oasis of comfort, education, innovation and entertainment in the civilized world. Tall buildings soar into a azure sky, galleries filled with fine art and priceless treasures are scattered throughout the city like priceless gems and the streets are lined with five star restaurants as well as more humble family eateries.

From nomadic tents to exotic resorts, barren sand to pristine ocean beaches, Dubai has transformed itself like no other city has ever done before. The ingenuity and vision shown by the people of the United Arab Emirates in building this fantastic marvel is nothing short of determined genius.

The future of that modern miracle known as Dubai is inexorably tied to its past as the city itself predates formation of the United Arab Emirates by more than 150 years. The first recorded mention of Dubai was in the Book of Geography published in 1095 by the geographer Abu Abdullah al-Bakri. No real city existed but the area referred to as Dubai was well known for its pearling industry as early as the 16th century. Dubai City was founded early in the 19th century by the House of Al-Falasi.

The location of Dubai City made it a natural regional trading center which when combined with the pearling and fishing industry turned this place into a beehive of activity during the first couple decades of the 20th Century. World War 1, increased use of artificial pearls and the Great Worldwide Depression put an end to this prosperity, but all was not lost. With true Arab determination and resourcefulness Dubai managed to establish electrical service, an airport and telephone service in the 1950’s which brought the city into the modern era and attracted immigrants from the world over. It seems history was repeating itself as all those improvements brought a flood of commerce and started the city on the path to becoming a modern metropolis and business center. Dubai City was now set to leave its past behind and forge ahead into the future.