Old Bastakia
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Old Bastakia
Malcolm Jones' Photo shows Dubai's Skyline is still dominated by Windtowers.
Barasti Villages provided the Skyline outside the city. These Barasti Villages housed many of the illegal immigrants who came to Dubai seeking work.
Deira has yet to benefit from land reclamation. There are some apartment blocks but buildings are largely traditional
Dubai as it used to be immediately prior to the discovery of oil.
Dubai was busy commercially. Land had been reclaimed from Dubai Creek. Deira's Skyline was starting to change.
Dubai's Skyline was still "low level" when viewed from Dubai Creek.
Dubai Electricity Company established in 1959. They brought electrical power enabling street shopkeepers to dispense with their oil lamps and streets to be lit. Dubai's nighttime Skyline changed. Bedouins came into town to sit and watch neon signs starting to appear on shopfronts.
Traditional buildings were still a major feature of Dubai's Skyline but falling into disrepair as local families moved to modern homes.
Shindaga's Skyline was about to change forever. Cranes dominated the Skyline as work started on building Port Rashid. These vacant traditional homes were demolished.
Medium rise Apartment Blocks began to appear on Deira's Skyline. Ships anchored off Dubai waiting to discharge their cargoes increased.
Many of the local buildings were increasingly used to house labourers after the local families moved to new houses on Dubai's outskirts.
Apartment Blocks began to appear in the Dubai side Skyline. They housed the many Expatriates arriving in Dubai after the discovery of oil.
There was still vacant land in amongst Dubai's buildings. Temporary homes were built on this land (often illegally) using rudimentary materials. These existed alongside traditional Windtower homes and modern buildings.
Deira Coastline had been reclaimed. Hyatt Regency Hotel was the first and (to date) only major building on this reclaimed land but making a significant change to Deira's Skyline.
Deira skyline is starting to change. Shindagah is still as it used to be with its heritage buildings lying derelict.
Modern Hi Rise buildings are starting to compete with traditional Windtowers that lie neglected and derelict.
Dubai's future skyline is foreshadowed with the opening of Dubai's World Trade Centre Building - then the Region's tallest building.
Dubai Clock Tower was originally designed as a "Portal" into Dubai for for Visitors arriving from other Emirates. With Dubai's growth and associated increase in road traffic, Dubai's Clock Tower had become a "traffic roundabout" for vehicles moving from Dubai to Deira and vice versa.
Deira's roads were widened to cope with increasing levels. Dubai Municipality implemented a "Greening Dubai" programme that brought trees, plants and bushes to "beautify" these roads
Dubai Municipality beautified Dubai wherever it could. This traffic roundabout near Port Rashid was a green oasis with an oversized Falcon Sculpture dominating the Skyline, becoming known locally as Budgerigar Roundabout. Roundabout later removed and Falcon Sculpture relocated to Mirdif Park.
Port Rashid new Container Terminal Cranes now towered above Shindagah's traditional buildings. While Port Rashid developed into one of the World's most modern ports, Dubai's traditional Dhow trade continued in Dubai Creek
Deira's Skyline was developing faster than Dubaiside where Shindaga yet to be developed as a Heritage and Tourist Centre.
Windtowers were still a feature of Dubai's Skyline but were soon to disappear to make way for a new Diwan.
Avant Garde shape of the new Emirate Golf Club sprang up in the desert radically changing Dubai's desert Skyline. In following years buildings of equally dramatic (and not so dramatic) design would be built in this desert area.
Wafi Centre was the forerunner of the exotic shopping malls that followed in latter years.
Its external Egyptian Theme and exotically decorated interior was unique then and remained so over the years.
Dubai Customs Building is an early example of Dubai's adventurous building design. Built to resemble an ocean liner, its external sheathing covered (or hid!) two conventional office blocks.
Burj Al Arab dominates Dubai's coastal Skyline. Palaces, Hotels, Resorts will soon be added to this Skyline.
Dubai's 1998 Skyline looks sparse compared to how it would look in just a few years' time.
Dubai's coastline and desert area had yet to experience the dramatic changes that were to come. Resort Hotels were starting to appear along the beachline.
Nad Al Sheba Race Track and Stadium were built in a desert area not previously developed. This has since been rebuilt!
Dubai's suburban Skyline grew as more people established in those areas. Mansion type buildings became the norm for many of these suburbs. Here a mansion house in Umm Sequeim is illuminated for a local wedding.
"Speculative" Mansions were built for sale in newly greened areas of the desert. These were "Show Mansions" with elaborate interiors designed to attract property buyers. Around 12 were built but Dubai had yet to offer Buyers 99 year visas. That came later. These exotic mansions and surroundings were a prelude to construction and sale of hundreds of villas and apartments and development of new communities where Expatriates could live indefinitely.
Palm Island's construction offshore extended Dubai's Skyline and brought a new aspect to life in Dubai.
Dubai Creek was now lined with an impressive array of modern buildings. Emphasis for new building was soon to focus on desert areas outside Dubai and Deira.
Dubai and Deira's Skyline is a mix of the old and new after traditional buildings were renovated and preserved.
Dubai's Skyline would be unrecognisable to anyone returning to Dubai after a ten year absence.
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