Dubai

Dubai (dOObī') [key], 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 Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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