A city and sheikdom of eastern United Arab Emirates on the Persian Gulf. Oil was discovered here in the 1960s. Population: 1,170,000.
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Columbia Encyclopedia:
Dubai
(dūbī') , sheikhdom (1995 pop. 674,101), c.1,500 sq mi (3,890 sq km), part of the federation of seven United Arab Emirates, SE Arabia, on the Persian Gulf. Nearly all of the sheikhdom's settled population is concentrated in the city of Dubai (1995 pop. 669,181), which is the principal port, commercial center, and largest city of the federation and is located on the sheikhdom's central Persian Gulf coast.
Little is known of the early history of Dubai, but it appears to have been a dependency of Abu Dhabi until 1833. Along with the other sheikhdoms that now compose the federation, it became a British protectorate in the 19th cent. Dubai became the commercial capital of the sheikhdoms and was an important port of call for British steamers to India. Dubai was at war with Abu Dhabi from 1945 to 1948. Oil was discovered in Dubai in the early 1960s, and production began in 1966.
Dubai became part of the United Arab Emirates at its founding in 1971. In the 1970s its deepwater port was modernized and a supertanker dock was constructed. International trade, business, and especially tourism also are economically important, and modern highrises dominate the city of Dubai. There is an international airport, and the sheikhdom is a regional center for international corporate headquarters and computer and media companies. The development of Dubai has resulted in an influx of low-paid South Asian workers, especially in construction; anger over wage and labor issues led foreign construction workers to riot in 2006.
The second largest and second wealthiest of the seven emirates in the United Arab Emirates; also, the city of the same name.
The story of the emirate of Dubai revolves around that of Dubai City. The emirate was established by the Al Maktum ruling family around 1833 when the family's clan, the Al Bu Falasa, broke away from the Bani Yas tribal confederation that dominated the region of Abu Dhabi. In its early years Dubai was a small fishing village on the best natural harbor (called Dubai Creek) in the region. Under the Al Maktum rulers it became an important pearling port, and by the early years of the twentieth century it was second only to Kuwait among the commercial ports on the Arab side of the Persian Gulf.
Dubai's rulers historically have encouraged commercial development, attracting merchants from around the region to the city. Consequently, large and visible expatriate communities from Iran, South Asia, and around the world give the city a vibrant, colorful, and cosmopolitan character. The largest city in the United Arab Emirates and its commercial capital, Dubai had an estimated population in 2000 of 886,000. In addition to its port and massive dry dock facilities, the city has one of the region's busiest airports. In 1999 the city boasted the world's tallest hotel, the Burj al-Arab, or Tower of the Arabs.
Bibliography
Noor, Ali Rashid. Dubai: Life and Times. London: Motivate Publishing, 1997.
Peck, Malcolm C. Historical Dictionary of the Gulf Arab States. London: Scarecrow Press, 1977.
— MALCOLM C. PECK
UPDATED BY ANTHONY B. TOTH
Local Time:
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Local Time: Jul 25, 9:20 AM
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Translations:
Translations for:
Dubai
Português (Portuguese)
n. - Dubai
中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
迪拜
中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 杜拜
한국어 (Korean)
두바이 (아랍 에미리트 구성국의 하나; 수도 Dubai)
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Copyrights:
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/ Read more |
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| Mideast & N. Africa Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. Copyright © 2004 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
| Local Time. Copyright © 2001 - Chaos Software. All rights reserved Read more | |
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| Blogs. © 1999-2008 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. Read more |
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