The history of Dubai dates back to 3000 BC or the Bronze Age. During the 5-7th centuries AD, Dubai became a famous trade route connecting Oman to what is now known to be Iraq. The livelihood of the people of Dubai during that time was based on pearling, fishing, and building boats. The trade routes became very famous and soon started receiving footfall from Europeans and Portuguese. 

A few centuries later in the year 1793, the people of the Bani Tribe (one of the tribes of Dubai) rose in number in Dubai because of this they were able to reign over the political sphere of Dubai. This threatened the position and sentiments of the other tribes of Dubai and so this period In Dubai’s history is marked by a lot of riots between these tribes.

On the other hand, the trade routes had gained a lot of momentum. The British were looking for expanding their reach and thus sought to bond with local rulers. They were successful in creating maritime truces with the Dubai Sheiks, and this led to the area being called the Trucial Coast. 

Dubai, since time immemorial, has been blessed with a vast stock of pearls. It is true now and was right then. This was one of the reasons the city attracts hordes of people from all over the world.

A while after that, Maktoum Bin Butti, a leader from the Bani Yas tribe along with few of his tribesmen, moved to the Shindagha Peninsula. This move had a very significant impact on the history of Dubai, as this is how Abu Dhabi came to be. The dynasty created by Maktoum Bin Butti to rule over all of Dubai still holds that position. Abu Dhabi still has a great hold and is the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Slowly and steadily, Dubai grew. It started working more on its economy, and soon enough, it was tagged as the principal port on the gulf coast. Pearling was still the main activity to be carried out.

What happened in18th century changed the economy of the country and had a huge impact on the history of Dubai. In 1902, Dubai saw a massive influx of Arab settlers and Iranian traders. This was followed by the introduction of tariffs on Iran’s port, also known as Lingeh port. Dubai’s trade boomed and has been flourishing since.

Around the 1950s, oil was discovered near the Trucial States. In 1966, oil was found in the Fateh’s oil field. As opposed to the general thought, the discovery of oil in Dubai is a rather recent phenomenon. But given Dubai’s reach and communication, it has benefitted from it immensely in such a short period.