Dubai Creek in 1964

Dubai Creek overlooking the Rigga Al Buteen area of Deira

Water taxi in Dubai Creek, with the National Bank of Dubai and the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the background

Dubai Creek or Khor Dubai (Arabic: خور دبي‎, Khawr Dubayy) is a saltwater creek located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). It ends at Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary. Some sources say that the creek extended as far inland as Al Ain, and that the Ancient Greeks called it River Zara.^[1] Historically, the creek divided the city into two main sections – Deira and Bur Dubai. It was along the Bur Dubai creek area that members of the Bani Yas tribe first settled in the 19th century, establishing the Al Maktoum dynasty in the city.^[2] In the early 20th century, the creek, though incapable then of supporting large scale transportation, served as a minor port for dhows coming as far away as India or East Africa. Although it impeded the entry of ships due to current flow, the creek remained an important element in establishing the commercial position of Dubai, being the only port or harbour in the city.^[3] Dubai's pearling industry, which formed the main sector of the city's economy, was based primarily on expeditions in the creek, prior to the invention of cultured pearls in the 1930s.

Fishing, also an important industry at the time, was also based along the creek, whose warm and shallow waters supported a wide variety of marine life. Dhows used for purposes of fishing were also built on the foreshore of the creek.^[4] The importance of the creek as a site of commercial activity was a justification to introduce improvements to allow larger vessels to transit, as well as to facilitate loading and unloading activities. This led, in 1955, to a plan to develop the creek, which involved dredging shallow areas, building of breakwaters, and developing its beach to become a quay suitable for loading and unloading of cargo.^[3] The creek was first dredged in 1961 to permit 7 feet (2.1 m) draft vessels to cross through the creek at all times.^[5] The creek was dredged again in the 1960s and 1970s so that it could offer anchorage for local and coastal shipping of up to about 500 tons.^[6] The dredging opened up the creek to much more continuous traffic of merchandise, including the development of re-export, and gave Dubai an advantage over Sharjah, the other dominant trading centre in the region at the time.^[6] Al Maktoum Bridge, the first bridge connecting Bur Dubai and Deira was constructed in 1963. Although the importance of the creek as a port has diminished with the development of the Jebel Ali Port, smaller facilities, such as Port Saeed, continue to exist along the creek, providing porting to traders from the region and the subcontinent.

Including the most remarkable buildings alongside the Deira side of the Creek are the Deira Twin Towers, Dubai Creek Tower, Sheraton Dubai Creek, National Bank, and Chamber of Commerce.^[7]

The creek's initial inlet into mainland Dubai is along the Deira Corniche and Al Ras areas of eastern Dubai and along the Al Shindagha area of western Dubai. It then progresses south-eastward through the mainland, passing through Port Saeed and Dubai Creek Park. The creek's natural ending is at the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from its origin at the Persian Gulf. The traditional form of transport between the eastern and western sections of Dubai via the creek was through abras, which continue to operate in Dubai. In addition, the eastern and western sections are linked via four bridges (Al Maktoum Bridge, Al Garhoud Bridge, Business Bay Crossing, and Floating Bridge) and one tunnel (Al Shindagha Tunnel).

Crossings[link]

• Al Shindagha Tunnel
• Al Maktoum Bridge
• Floating Bridge, Dubai (temporary; to be replaced by the "Dubai Smile" in the future)
• Al Garhoud Bridge
• Business Bay Crossing

2000s developments[link]

By September 2007, a Dhs. 484 million (US$ 132 million) extension of the creek was finished, which now ends just south of the Metropolitan Hotel on Shaikh Zayed Road. A final 2.2-kilometre extension will cross Shaikh Zayed Road in a northerly route, pass through Safa Park and then through Jumeirah 2. The channel is expected to continue through Jumeirah Beach Park where it will reach the shores of the Gulf.^[8]

Additionally, a new project consisting of seven islands known as The Lagoons was proposed to be built on Dubai Creek. The center piece of this project would be the Dubai Towers Dubai, a set of towers of which the tallest will top 400 metres (1,312 ft) while two others will exceed 300 metres (980 ft). Three additional bridges are being planned for Dubai Creek, which are the Seventh Crossing, the Al Shindagha Bridge, and the Fifth Bridge.^[9]

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dubai Creek

Coordinates: 25°15′21″N 55°19′0″E / 25.25583°N 55.316667°E / 25.25583; 55.316667

Dubai دبي
—  Emirate  —
Emirate of Dubai
Flag
Coordinates: 25°15′00″N 55°18′00″E / 25.25°N 55.3°E / 25.25; 55.3
Country	United Arab Emirates
Emirate	Dubai
Incorporated (town)	9 June 1833
Independence from UK	2 December 1971
Founder	Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Seat	Dubai
Subdivisions	Towns and villages Jebel Ali Hatta Al Hunaiwah Al Aweer Al Hajarain Al Lusayli Al Marqab Al Faq Hail Assam Ud al-Bayda Al Malaiha Al Madam Margham Urqub Juwayza Al Qima
Government
• Type	Constitutional monarchy[1]
• Ruler	Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
• Crown Prince	Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Area[2]
• Emirate	4,114 km2 (1,588 sq mi)
Population (2010)
• Emirate	2,262,000
• Density	408.18/km2 (1,057/sq mi)
• Metro	3,843,121
• Nationality  (2005)[3]	35% Indian 17% Emirati 13.3% Pakistani 7.5% Bangladeshi 2.5% Filipino 1.5% Sri Lankan 0.9% European 0.3% American 5.7% other countries
Time zone	UAE standard time (UTC+4)
Website	Dubai Emirate Dubai Municipality

Dubai (/duːˈbaɪ/ doo-BY; Arabic: دبيّ‎ Dubeii; IPA: [du'beii]) is an emirate within the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A city within the emirate is also named Dubai. The emirate is located south east of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi.^[4] Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the only two emirates to have veto power over critical matters of national importance in the country's legislature.^[5] Dubai City is located on the emirate's northern coastline.

The earliest mention of Dubai is in 1095, and the earliest settlement known as Dubai town dates from 1799. Dubai was formally established in 1833 by Sheikh Maktoum bin Buti al Maktoum when he persuaded 800 members of the Bani Yas tribe, living in what is now part of Saudi Arabia, to follow him to the Dubai Creek by the Al Abu Falasa clan of Bani Yas. It remained under clan control when the United Kingdom assumed the protection of Dubai in 1892.^[6] Its geographical location made it an important trading hub and by the beginning of the 20th century, it was an important port.

In 1966, oil was discovered, Dubai and the emirate of Qatar set up a new monetary unit to replace the Gulf Rupee. The oil economy led to a massive influx of foreign workers, quickly expanding the city by 300% and bringing in international oil interests. The modern emirate of Dubai was created after the UK left the area in 1971. At this time Dubai, together with Abu Dhabi and four other emirates, formed the United Arab Emirates. The following year Ras al Khaimah joined the federation while Qatar and Bahrain chose to remain independent nations. In 1973, the monetary union with Qatar was dissolved and the UAE Dirham introduced throughout the UAE. A free trade zone was built around the Jebel Ali port in 1979, allowing foreign companies unrestricted import of labor and export capital. The Gulf War of 1990 had a negative financial effect on the city, as depositors withdrew their money and traders withdrew their trade, but subsequently the city recovered in a changing political climate and thrived.

Today, Dubai City has emerged as a global city and a business hub.^[7] Although Dubai's economy was built on the oil industry, the emirate's model of business drives its economy, with the effect that its main revenues are now from tourism, real estate, and financial services, similar to that of Western countries.^[8][9][10] Dubai has recently attracted world attention through many innovative large construction projects and sports events. This increased attention has highlighted labour rights and human rights issues concerning its largely South Asian workforce.^[11] Almost half the population of Dubai comprises Indians. Dubai's property market experienced a major deterioration in 2008 and 2009 as a result of the worldwide economic downturn following the financial crisis of 2007–2010.^[12]

Etymology[link]

In the 1820s, Dubai was referred to as Al Wasl by British historians. Few records pertaining to the cultural history of the UAE or its constituent emirates exist and because of the region's oral traditions, folklore and myth were not written down. According to Fedel Handhal, a researcher in the history and culture of the UAE, the word Dubai may have come from the word Daba (a derivative of Yadub, which means to creep); referring to the slow flow of Dubai Creek inland. The poet and scholar Ahmad Mohammad Obaid traces it to the same word, but to its alternative of locust.^[13]

History[link]

Although stone tools have been found at many sites, little is known about UAE's early inhabitants as only a few settlements have been found.^[14] Many ancient towns in the area were trading centers between the Eastern and Western worlds. The remnants of an ancient mangrove swamp, dated at 7,000 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 a part of the city's present coastline.^{[14] [15]} Pre Islamic ceramics have been found from the 3rd and 4th century.^[16] Prior to Islam, the people in this region worshiped Bajir (or Bajar).^[16] The Byzantine and Sassanian (Persian) empires constituted the great powers of the period, with the Sassanians controlling much of the region. After the spread of Islam in the area, 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 artifacts from the Umayyad period.^[17]