|
The history of Dubai is as interesting as the emirate
itself is. According to recent archeological evidences
found in Al-Qusais, on the outskirts of Dubai, the human
settlement in Dubai had existed as early as 8,000 BC.
Early inhabitants of the region were nomadic cattle
herders, as the whole area had good pasture untill 3,000
BC. Agriculture in the region started with the cultivation
of date palm around 2,500 BC. The area remained closely
assocaited with the Magan civilization till 2,000 BC.
Magan civilization ceased after the 2nd millenium BC,
most probably as a result of desertification of the
area.
Islamic History Dubai & Magan Civilization Dubai
There are no historical accounts available for the region for almost 2,300
years. The area came under the Sassanian empire around
the 3rd century AD, followed by the Umayyads who intorduced
Islam to the region in the 7th century AD. The early
Islamic history, from the 7th to 14th century AD, of
the region is not documented. Portuguese were first
Europeans who arrived in the region in the early 17th
century AD, followed by French and Dutch in late 17th
and early 18th century. Throughout this period Dubai
remained a small fishing and pearling village, and bone
of contention between Qawasim and the Bani Yas tribes.
Cultural History of Dubai
Dubai was a dependent of the settlement of Abu Dhabi until 1833
AD, and historical records of the town are available
from 1799 AD onwards. In 1833 AD, Dubai was taken over
by the Al Maktoum dynasty of the Bani Yas tribe who
still rule the emirate. In 1835, Dubai signed a maritime
truce with Britain. The following years saw Dubai emerging
as an important sea trading port and settlement growing
rapidly. Dubai remained a foremost trading port until
the 1930s, primarily known for its pearl exports. Dubai
came under the protection of the United Kingdom by the
Exclusive Agreement of 1892.
Oil in Dubai
Discovery of oil reserves in Dubai in 1966 completely
changed the fortunes of this emirate, and it started
to export oil in 1969. Following the British withdrawal
from Dubai in 1971, the emirate came together with Abu
Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Ras
Al Khaimah to create the federation of the United Arab
Emirates. In 1973, Dubai joined the other emirates to
adopt a single, uniform currency- the UAE Dirham. Today,
Dubai has emerged as a major economic and tourism hub
of the world, with world-class free trade zones, financial
institutions, hotels, shopping malls, and much more.
For more information on Dubai history, please visit the relevant
links on this page.
| 
