History of Dubai
The earliest written record of Dubai (Dibei) is accredited to Muhammad al-Idrisi, who mapped the coast of the UAE in the tenth century AD.
Circa 1580, the state jeweler of Venice, Gasparo Balbi, documented the pearling industry of Dubai and other cities currently presiding in UAE territory.
Politically it remains authoritarian, however, relations with neighbouring Iran have been tense because of an ongoing territorial dispute over Gulf islands.
and various evidence suggests links to the mysterious Magan civilization, who it is thought controlled the copper trade of this part of the ancient world, and of which there are archaeological sites in Bahrain.
[14] The earliest written mention of the area of Dubai was in 1095, by Abū 'Ubayd 'Abd Allāh al-Bakrī, in his Mojam Ma Ostojam men Asmae Al belaad wal Mawadhea,[15] in which he describes many places of the world compiled from other accounts of them.
In 1894 a fire swept through Deira, burning down most of the homes;[24] however, perfect geographical positioning and thriving business enabled the rebuilding of the city.
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.
[citation needed] The emergence of artificial pearls had begun to hit the economy of Dubai, and coupled with the effects of the depression caused the Sheikh to explore other opportunities for expansion.
[30] In 1929, he was briefly deposed and succeeded by Sheikh Mani bin Rashid, a relative;[31] however, three days later he was restored to the throne and ruled until his death.
In addition, again they have taken on roles as service suppliers, urban planners, culture mediators, and internationalists representing the region throughout the world.
[33] Dubai suffered economically after 1920 due to the collapse of the pearl industry, the Great Depression of the 1930s, and the loss of extensive trade networks during World War II.
Until the surge of oil revenues in the late 1960s, political instability and merchant unrest existed and constituted an organized attempt to subvert British influence and the ruling Al-Maktoum family.
The reform movement ultimately collapsed due to opposition from the British government and the weakness of the political structures then in place.
Arbitration by the British government in 1949 resulted in the creation of a buffer frontier running south eastwards from the coast at Ras Hasian.
Once the first shipment of oil was made in 1969, the future of Dubai as an autonomous state was secured,[48] and its ability to dictate policy in later years to the UAE was cemented.
[52] Dubai and Ras al Khaimah are the only two states who retain their own judicial courts, whilst the others are part of the federal justice system of the UAE.
Dubai continued to foster political alignment with the western world, and during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, they provided refueling bases to allied forces in the Jebel Ali Free Zone as they did during the Persian Gulf War.
[63] The Great Recession of the late 2000s hit the economy of Dubai extremely hard;[64][65] this was largely due to its dependence on sectors such as energy, tourism and especially real-estate, with reports of new construction slowing and in some cases stopping altogether.
[69] Dubai has also been in the news for its attitudes towards adultery, which are seen as harsh in the Western world, with some cases forcing the intervention of other governments on behalf of their citizens.
[70] To keep attract foreign investors, the United Arab Emirates plans to decriminalize "actions that don't harm others," potentially ending punishments for alcohol consumption or cohabitation by unwed couples in the expatriate-dominated country.
As of February 2006, Dubai (along with the rest of the United Arab Emirates) only has a reserve supply of 44 billion barrels of crude petroleum.
Even after the formation of the UAE, neither state had agreed on the boundaries and hence, on 30 November 1976 they signed an arbitration compromise under the auspices of the Supreme Council of the Federation.
