History

Moments in History
Dubai has its town records from the year 1799. The Al Abu Falasa lineage of Bani Yas clan established itself in Dubai in the 18th century. During that period Dubai was a dependent of the settlement of Abu Dhabi. Dubai became independent settlement in 1833.

In 1820, on 8th of January, the then sheikh of Dubai became a signatory to the British sponsored “General Treaty of Peace” (the General Maritime Treaty).

In the year 1833, the Al Maktoum dynasty of the Bani Yas tribe left the settlement of Abu Dhabi and took over the town of Dubai, “without resistance”. Since then, Dubai, a newly independent emirate, was constantly at odds with the emirate of Abu Dhabi. An attempt by the Qawasim pirates to take over Dubai was thwarted.

In the year1835, Dubai and the rest of the Trucial States signed a maritime truce with Britain. Two decades later the “Perpetual Maritime Truce” was signed. Dubai came under the protection of the United Kingdom (keeping out the Ottoman Turks) by the Exclusive Agreement of 1892. Like Abu Dhabi, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Qaiwain, Dubai’s position on the route to India made it an important location.

In March 1892, the Trucial States (or Trucial Oman) were created. The rulers of Dubai fostered trade and commerce, unlike its neighbours. The town of Dubai was an important port of call for overseas tradesmen (chiefly Indians), who settled in the town. Until the 1930s, Dubai was renowned for its pearl exports.

The year 1966 saw the devaluation of the Gulf Rupee and Dubai joined the newly independent state of Qatar to set up a new monetary unit, the Qatar/Dubai riyal. Dubai granted oil concessions subsequent to oil discovery 120 kilometers off its coast.

In the year 1971, Britain (protector) left the Persian Gulf, so in the same year, Dubai and the other six emirates formed the United Arab Emirates on 2nd December. Dubai and the other six emirates jointly adopted the UAE dirham as a single, uniform currency in the year 1973.