emirate · Arabia and the Gulf
Sheikhdom of Dubai
Origins
In 1833 about 800 members of the Al Bu Falasah section of the Bani Yas left the Sheikhdom of Abu Dhabi and settled at Dubai Creek under Maktoum bin Butti and Obaid bin Said. Maktoum's descendants, the Al Maktoum, have ruled since.
Rule and society
Dubai joined the Trucial States system and lived from pearling, fishing and trade. Low taxes drew merchants, especially from the Persian port of Lingeh after 1902, and Dubai became the main entrepot of the coast. Saeed bin Maktoum ruled from 1912 to 1958, facing a reform movement in 1938. His son Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum dredged the creek and opened an airport in 1960.
Decline and legacy
Offshore oil was found in 1966 and funded further building. Rashid worked with Zayed of Abu Dhabi to form the United Arab Emirates, which Dubai joined at its foundation in December 1971.
Lineage
On the connections map
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- Sheikhdom of Dubai was part of Trucial States1833 CE – 1971 CE
More states of Arabia and the Gulf →
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Sheikhdom of Dubai. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sheikhdom-of-dubai
- MLA
- “Sheikhdom of Dubai.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sheikhdom-of-dubai. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Sheikhdom of Dubai.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sheikhdom-of-dubai.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Sheikhdom of Dubai’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sheikhdom-of-dubai (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻