HISTORY OF DUBAI

Dubai is the most populous state in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai is the capital of one of the seven emirates that make up the country. Abu Dabhi and Dubai are the only two emirates to have veto power over critical matters of national legislation . 

Dubai has emerged as a global city and business hub for passengers and cargo. Dubai's economy was based on revenues from trade and from oil exploration concessions, but its reserves were limited and production levels are low today, less than 5% of the emirates revenue comes from oil.

Etymology

Many theories have been proposed as to origin of the word "Dubai". One theory suggests the word was used to be the souq, which was similar to the souq in Ba.An Arabic proverb says "Daba Dubai" (Arabic: دبا دبي‎), meaning "They came with a lot of money." According to Fedel Handhal, a scholar on the UAE's history and culture, the word Dubai may have come from the word daba (Arabic: دبا‎) (a past tense derivative of yadub (Arabic: يدب‎), which means "to creep"), referring to the slow flow of Dubai Creek inland. The poet and scholar Ahmad Mohammad Obaid traces it to the same word, but to its alternative meaning of "baby locust" (Arabic: جراد‎) due to the abundant nature of locusts in the area before settlement.

Tourism in Dubai

Tourism is an important part of the Dubai government's strategy to maintain the flow of foreign cash into the emirate. Dubai's lure for tourists is based mainly on shopping, but also on its possession of other ancient and modern attractions. As of 2018, Dubai is the fourth most-visited city in the world based on the number of international visitors and the fastest growing, increasing by a 10.7% rate. The city hosted 14.9 million overnight visitors in 2016, and is expected to reach 20 million tourists by 2020.

Dubai has been called the "shopping capital of the Middle East".Dubai alone has more than 70 shopping centres, including the world's largest shopping centre, Dubai Mall. Dubai is also known for the historical souk districts located on either side of its creek. Traditionally, dhows from East Asia, China, Sri Lanka, and India would discharge their cargo and the goods would be bargained over in the souks adjacent to the docks. Dubai Creek played a vital role in sustaining the life of the community in the city and was the resource which originally drove the economic boom in Dubai. As of September 2013, Dubai creek has been proposed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Many boutiques and jewellery stores are also found in the city. Dubai is also referred to as "the City of Gold" as the Gold Souk in Deira houses nearly 250 gold retail shops.