History

Although stone tools have been found at many archaeological sites, little is
known about the UAE's early inhabitants as only a few settlements have been
found.[26] Many ancient towns in the area were trading centres between the
Eastern and Western worlds. The remnants of an ancient mangrove swamp,
dated at 7000 BC, were discovered during the construction of sewer lines
near Dubai Internet City. The area was covered with sand about 5,000 years
ago as the coast retreated inland, becoming part of the city's present
coastline.[26][27] Pre-Islamic ceramics have been found from the 3rd and 4th
centuries.[28] Prior to the introduction of Islam to the area, the people in this
region worshiped Bajir (or Bajar).[28] After the spread of Islam in the region,
the Umayyad Caliph of the eastern Islamic world invaded
south-east Arabia and drove out the Sassanians. Excavations by the Dubai
Museum in the region of Al-Jumayra (Jumeirah) found several artefacts from
the Umayyad period.[29]
The earliest recorded mention of Dubai is in 1095 in the Book of

Geography by the Andalusian-Arab geographer Abu Abdullah al-Bakri.[citation
needed] The Venetian pearl merchant Gasparo Balbi visited the area in 1580
and mentioned Dubai (Dibei) for its pearling industry.[29]
Dubai is thought to have been established as a fishing village in the early 18th
century[30] and was, by 1822, a town of some 7–800 members of the
Baniyas tribe and subject to the rule of Sheikh Tahnoon of Abu Dhabi.[31]
In 1833, following tribal feuding, members of the Al Bu Falasa tribe seceded

from Abu Dhabi and established themselves in Dubai. The exodus from Abu
Dhabi was led by Ubaid bin Saeed and Maktum bin Butti who became joint
leaders of Dubai until Ubaid died in 1836, leaving Maktum to establish the
Maktoum dynasty.[30]
Dubai signed the first treaty of Perpetual Maritime Truce in 1820 along with
other Trucial States, which was followed by a further treaty in 1853. It also –
like its neighbours on the Trucial Coast – entered into an exclusivity
agreement in which the United Kingdom took responsibility for the emirate's
security in 1892.
Two catastrophes struck the town during the 1800s. First, in 1841,
a smallpox epidemic broke out in the Bur Dubai locality, forcing residents to
relocate east to Deira. Then, in 1894, fire swept through Deira, burning down
most homes.[32] However, the town's geographical location continued to
attract traders and merchants from around the region. The emir of Dubai was
keen to attract foreign traders and lowered trade tax brackets, which lured
traders away from Sharjah and Bandar Lengeh, the region's main trade hubs
at the time. Persian merchants naturally looked across to the Arab shore of
the Persian Gulf finally making their homes in Dubai. They continued to trade
with Lingah, however, as do many of the dhows in Dubai Creek today, and
they named their district Bastakiya, after the Bastak region in
southern Persia .[32][33]
Pre-oil Dubai[edit]
Typical Bastakiya street in Deira
Dubai's geographical proximity to Iran made it an important trade location.

The town of Dubai was an important port of call for foreign tradesmen, chiefly
those from Iran, many of whom eventually settled in the town. By the
beginning of the 20th century, it was an important port.[34]
Dubai was known for its pearl exports until the 1930s; the pearl trade was
damaged irreparably by the Great Depression in the 1930s and the
innovation of cultured pearls. With the collapse of the pearling industry, Dubai
fell into a deep depression and many residents starved or migrated to other
parts of the Persian Gulf.[26]
In the early days since its inception, Dubai was constantly at odds with Abu
Dhabi. In 1947, a border dispute between Dubai and Abu Dhabi on the
northern sector of their mutual border escalated into war.[35] Arbitration by
the British and the creation of a buffer frontier running south eastwards from
the coast at Ras Hasian resulted in a temporary cessation of hostilities.[36]
Despite a lack of oil, Dubai's ruler from 1958, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al
Maktoum, used revenue from trading activities to build infrastructure. Private
companies were established to build and operate infrastructure, including
electricity, telephone services and both the ports and airport operators.[37] An
airport of sorts (a runway built on salt flats) was established in Dubai in the
1950s and, in 1959, the emirate's first hotel, the Airlines Hotel, was
constructed. This was followed by the Ambassador and Carlton Hotels in
1968.[38]

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History

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Although stone tools have been found at many archaeological sites, little is

The earliest recorded mention of Dubai is in 1095 in the Book of

In 1833, following tribal feuding, members of the Al Bu Falasa tribe seceded

Typical Bastakiya street in Deira

Dubai's geographical proximity to Iran made it an important trade location.

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