Dubai, City of Gold

Dubai is the most important port and commercial center in United Arab Emirates (UAE). Dubai has a population of approximately 1 million and is home to a wide diversity of nationalities.

Dubai was established in 1830 by the Maktoum family and in the early 1900s it experienced rapid growth in its importance as a center of commerce and trade.

In 1966 oil was discovered in Dubai, enabling the development of the economic and social infrastructure which formed the basis of today's modern society. In 1971, the federation of the United Arab Emirates was established.

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The village is close to the site of Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum's House.

Pearl diving, one of the oldest professions in the region, existed almost six to seven thousand years back. A pearl diving ship carried 10-60 people on board for an expedition. The team comprised a captain (Nokhaza), some divers, seeb, and other staff. The diver often risked his life to gather pearl studded oysters from the sea bed. He used to dive deep for more than two minutes to collect a handful of oysters. The season lasted only for six months starting from April because the Gulf waters during this season were warm and safe. The Emirate of Dubai was most active in this adventurous occupation and owned about 335 pearl fishing dhows at a time.

The Diving Village forms part of an ambitious plan to turn the entire Shindagha area into a cultural microcosm, recreating life in Dubai as it was in the days gone by.

Heritage And Diving Village is situated in the Shindagha area near the creek mouth. The Heritage Village has been created where potters and weavers display their art. The village provides a glimpse of Dubai's traditional culture and lifestyle.