Dubai Motor Racing Grand Prix 1981

Old Bastakia

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Dubai's Water Towers

Dubai's Domestic Water System 1970s.

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Bastakia's Wind Towers.

Derelict Demolished Restored.

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Captain's Stores.

Cameras Binoculars Smuggling.

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Chicago Beach Hotel.

Popular but Demolished.

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Dubai's Clock Tower.

The Story Behind the Tower.

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Finding Water for Dubai.

Dubai's First Domestic Water System.

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Dubai's First Traffic Lights.

They didn't work at night!.

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Sheikh Saeed's House.

Derelict prior to Restoration.

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Sheikh Rashid.

Opening Port Rashid Container Terminal.

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Dubai Creek Raft Race.

First Race in 1971.

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Dubai's First Power Station

Demolished

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Port Rashid.

Chapter 2

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Dubai's Traffic Police.

Dealing with new Technology

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Dubai's Markets

Before Supermarkets

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Dubai's Kazans.

An Engineering Marvel

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Dubai's People

Shopping Dubai 1970s

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Jumeirah Beach Road

How it was in 1968

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Wadi Portrait.

When Dubai was innocent!

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First Show Jumping

Dubai Metropolitan Hotel 1987

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Hard Rock Cafe

Demolished??????

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Dubai Grand Prix.

Motor Racing comes to Dubai 1981

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Al Fahidi Fort.

Dubai's best Museum

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Emirates Golf Club.

Dubai's Premier Golf Course.

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Dubai's Post Office.

Postal Order Process!

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Dubai's Creek

How it used to be 1963

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Dubai Defense Force

On Parade in Jumeirah 1972

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Dubai Country Club

Demolished 2007

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Bait Al Wakheel

Dubai's First Office Building

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Dubai's Wharves

Where Dubai used to make its money

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Cycle Dubai

Cycling come to Dubai

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Dubai Dirt Donksl

Dubai's Motorbike First

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Britannia in Dubai.

Queen Elizabeth 2 State Visit

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Al Maktoum Bridge

Opening 1969

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Bastakia

Before it was restored

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Dubai's People

As they used to be

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Dubai Airport

Immigration and Customs

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Duba's First Power Station

Demolished!!!!

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Dubai's Police

Car Crash 1970s Style

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Dubai's World Trade Centre

Dubai's First Hi Rise

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Dubai 1972

As it used to be!

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Dubai Motor Racing Grand Prix: 4th December 1981

Dubai's First Motor Racing Grand Prix was a celebration of the United Arab Emirates' Tenth Anniversary. Al Nasr Motor Sports Club organised the event in conjunction with Festival Services. Temporary circuit was built around newly opened Hyatt Regency Hotel on Diera Corniche. This unique event attracted many of the great names in international motor racing. Free racing car shipment by Sealand Shipping via recently opened Jebel Ali Port attracted a diverse range of racing cars and mainly British Drivers.

The Race Cars

Classic racing cars, production saloon cars, sports cars, super sports cars and Formula 1 racing cars were all represented. Aston Martin Owners Club UK provided 16 cars ranging from Aston Martin 1962 DB4GT to 1948 Aston Martin Spa Special. Although the event was called a Grand Prix, there was no race for Grand Prix cars only demonstration drives. John Watson demonstrated the Marlboro Maclaren. Juan Manual Fangio drove a Mercedes Grand Prix Race Car. Sadly Fangio suffered a heart attack after the event.

It was over 20 years before motor racing became a significant sport in Dubai with development of Dubai Autodrome and the A1 Grand Prix Series

The Race Programme

2nd and 3rd December were practice days. On 4th December Dubai Grand Prix Race Programme included five races with demonstration laps and lap record attempts in between.