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The United
Arab Emirates (UAE)
is actually a union of seven states, called Emirates. One of these
states, and perhaps the most progressive, is Dubai. Some records
actually indicate that Dubai has been in existence for about
one-and-a-half centuries before the UAE was formed in 1971.
Before that time, the confederation of Arabic states was
known as the Trucial States or Trucial Oman.
Unfortunately, there are very few accounts of the culture that
prevailed in this southeastern part of the Arabian peninsula
prior to the time of Islam.
Evidence and accounts which have been gathered so far have sufficed to
make some headway in tracing back the history of Dubai.
The discovery, for instance, of some traces of an ancient
mangrove swamp (estimated at 70 centuries ago) during the laying of the
sewer lines near the
Dubai Internet City on Sheikh
Zayed Road led to the conclusion that the area had been
blanketed by sand some fifty centuries ago as the ancient coastline
receded inland. This has now become a part of Dubai's present coastline.
Some records seem to indicate that many of the old places in that
southeastern part of the Arabian peninsula served as trading centers
between the East and the West. Before the time of Islam, the region was
dominated by the Azd
(a pre-Islamic
Arabian tribe). The Azd worshipped Bajar, a minor deity.
During that period, two powers lorded it over the region. These are the
Byzantine
(Eastern Roman) and the Sassanid
(Persian) empires. The latter controlled a big part of the region.
When much of the region was converted to Islam, the Umayyad Caliphate
took control of the region from the Sassanids. The Dubai Museum
undertook excavations in the region of Jumeirah and
discovered a number of material evidences believed to be from the
period of the Umayyads.
Here are some of the earliest records that made mention of Dubai:
• The
"Book
of Geography" by the historian Abu Abdullah Al-Bakri;
• Gaspero Balbi,
an Italian explorer in the 16th century, was said to have visited the
area in 1580, referring to it as "Dibei,"
and cited it for its pearl industry;
• It was only after 1799 when documented records of Dubai came
into existence.
Other historical records indicate that Dubai was
established by the Al
Abu Falasa lineage of Banu
Yas clan in the early 19th century. Until 1833, Dubai was
a dependent of Abu Dhabi
(now one of the 7 states and the capital of UAE). The sheikh of Dubai,
along with the other sheikhs of the region, signed the "General Maritime Treaty"
with the government of Britain on January 8, 1820. Thirteen years
later, the Al Maktoum
dynasty (also a lineage of the Banu Yas clan) left Abu Dhabi and took
control of Dubai from the Al Abu Falasa clan.
Through the "Exclusive
Agreement of 1892," the United Kingdom placed Dubai under
its protection, agreeing to defend it against possible invasion by the Ottoman Empire.
Today, Dubai is a vibrant city teeming with mega construction projects.
It has become a favorite tourist destination and a strong trading
center in the world. But despite this transformation to modernity,
Dubai has retained its rich Islamic culture.
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