2. Members of the Bani Yas Tribe leave the Liwa Oasis (Abu Dhabi) to look for a better place to live. They are led by the Al Maktoum family. When they arrive in Dubai - a small fishing village near the Arabian Gulf - they decide to settle down at the mouth of Dubai Creek (Shindagha). Ever since, Dubai has been under the rule of the Al Maktoum royal family.

3. Pearl diving, fishing and sea trade provide income for the people living along the coast. After 1894, Dubai’s economy flourishes when Sheikh Maktoum offers zero tax charges to foreign traders. This makes Dubai a popular free trade port for the import and export of goods. As the region’s centre for foreign trade, Dubai attracts traders and merchants from abroad to live and work in Dubai. Coral-stone windtower houses and warehouses appear on the banks of the creek. A large souk on the Deira side of the creek is the place to buy and sell goods.