A City Built on Sand: How Dubai Went From Desert to Concrete Jungle

In the scope of 50 years, Dubai has developed from a sand pit into a bustling city of wealth and extravagance.

When the small fishing village struck oil in 1966, the desert soon began trading its sand for cement, putting Dubai on the map with the world’s tallest buildings, busiest airports and mind blowing modern technology.

1900s: Fishing Village

Fishing, pearl diving and a trading port for gold and spices. This was Dubai before its extreme wealth today. Think of Aladdin running through his local bustling marketplace and that’s pretty much the picture of Dubai in times gone by.

These markets are known as souks and are still a thriving feature of Dubai today with many tourists visiting the old town to get a taste of the city’s history.

1960s: Vulnerable Economy

For thousands of years, Dubai’s trade relationship with neighboring countries provided a steady income for the village. Situated on the Arabian Gulf, Dubai functioned as a port for trading and relied heavily on its fishing and pearl diving.

However, when Japan invented artificial pearls in the 1950s, the economy took a harsh downturn. Luck was on their side though and in 1966 everything was about to change for the local fishing village…

1966: Striking Oil

After they struck oil in 1966, Dubai’s economic wealth exploded and the little fishing village grew into a bustling metropolis and a growing commercial hub.

This new found wealth inspired Dubai to embark on ambitious building projects that would set the bar for architecture and landscape design across the world.

1971: Joining the UAE

1971 was a turning point for Dubai when it joined its six neighboring cities to form the United Arab Emirates.

This fusion of the seven Emirate states thrived with the country’s oil revenue increasing and soon the rulers of UAE would work together on a huge construction program building schools, roads and hospitals.