History

Before 1830, Dubai was a small coastal village in which people derived their livelihood from fishing, pearling and small scale agriculture. In 1830, it was taken over by a branch of the Bani Yas Tribe (from the LIWA Oasis in the south). This takeover was led by the Maktoum family, whose descendants still rule the Emirates today.

Nothing much changed in Dubai until the late 1800’s, when tax concessions were granted to foreign traders. Encouraged by the far sighted and liberal attitudes of the rulers, Indian and Persian traders quickly settled in the growing town.

Dubai and the other Emirates had accepted the protection of the British government in 1892 after a series of maritime truces. In Europe, the area became known as the Trucial Coast (or Trucial States), a name it retained until the formation of the UAE. In 1968, the British announced its withdrawal from the region and work began to try and create a single state consisting of Bahrain, Qatar and the Trucial Coast. Negotiations collapsed when Bahrain and Qatar chose to become independent states. However, the Trucial Coast remained committed to forming an alliance and in 1971, the Federation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)was created.

Under the agreement, each Emirate retained a certain agree of autonomy. The leaders of the new Federation elected the Ruler of Abu Dhabi, HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, as their new President, a position he held until his death in 2004. Sheikh Zayed’s son, HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, was subsequently elected as President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi. The formation of the UAE became after the discovery of huge oil reserves (an estimated 9% of the world’s known rescources) in Abu Dhabi in 1958. In 1966, Dubai, which was already a relatively wealthy trading centre, also discovered oil. Currently, UAE output is around 2 billion barrels a day.

Oil reserves allowed the development of an economic and social infrastructure that forms the basis of today’s modern society. Much of the credit for this development can be traced to the vision of the late Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, who ensured that Dubai’s oil reserves were deployed to maximum effect. His work has been continued by the present Ruler, HH Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.