Dubai-Paradise on Earth, pg. 2
picture by dubai-city.de
article by Bina Khiani
Sheikh Rashid, who succeeded his father Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum in 1958, capitalised on this tremendous trade potential. Although Sheikh Rashid was not a traditionally educated man, he was a visionary with grand dreams and aspirations and immense foresight. He recognized that Dubai had the potential to become a great city and he meticulously planned and worked to make it so. The population of Dubai was growing rapidly and he realized the existing infrastructure needed immediate amendments. Dredging work on the creek was begun, adjacent lands sold to obtain money for the mammoth project. After successful completion of the Creek, many shipping lines began using Dubai as their main port in the Gulf. Many businesses and companies made Dubai their hub, the city began growing by leaps and bounds.
The location of Dubai and its free trade policies acted as magnets, drawing traders and businessmen to the country and re-export business flourished. Goods were cheaply imported into a duty-free port and immediately re-exported to another market, greatly boosting the economy. In 1966, Oil was discovered and this changed Dubai’s economy dramatically and the Emirate expanded and grew from a small town to a modern state with
excellent communications, industrial infrastructure, and all comforts of modern life.
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