Dubai, also Dubayy, city on the northeastern coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the capital of the emirate of Dubai. The city is divided in half by Dubai Creek, which is actually an inlet of the Persian Gulf. The eastern side of the creek, the traditional city center, is called Deira (or Dayrah), and the western side is referred to simply as Dubai. Dubai is the chief port and commercial center of the UAE, and the principal shipping, trading, and communications hub of the Persian Gulf region. Port Rashid, a large artificial port, lies within Dubai on the western side of the creek, and Jebel Ali, the largest artificial port in the world, is located 37 km (23 mi) down the coast to the southwest.
Sometimes referred to as “the Venice of the Gulf,†Dubai is a bustling, cosmopolitan city and a popular tourist destination with a wide selection of upscale shops. In the famous Gold Souk, in Deira, more than 200 shops sell gold jewelry and bullion. Extravagantly designed luxury hotels, some built on artificial islets, line the city’s shore. Dubai hosts an annual high-stakes horse race and major tennis and golf tournaments. The city is also home to Zayed University and the Dubai Museum, housed in an old fort.
Dubai was founded as a small fishing village by the end of the 18th century. At the time, the emirate of Dubai was a weak state dependent on the emirate of Abu Dhabi. In 1833 the al-Maktum family seceded from Abu Dhabi and moved to Dubai. Since then the city and the emirate of Dubai have been ruled by the al-Maktum family. Dubai had become a major port and a wealthy commercial town by the 20th century. Development of the emirate’s oil and gas reserves, starting in the mid-1960s, further increased the city’s prosperity. Population (2006) 1,321,453. - source: Encarta Microsoft
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