DUBAI CREEK

Description

Essentials about Dubai Creek in brief

The name “Dubai Creek” is a bit misleading, because it is actually not a creek, but a natural inlet of the Persian Gulf that divides the historic core of Dubai into the two districts of Bur Dubai (to the west) and Deira (to the east). Dubai Creek is 14 kilometers long and its width varies from about 120 meters at its mouth to 1,400 meters at its end. The natural outlet of the creek is a forested lagoon. It is protected as Ras al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary and at times home to over 20,000 migratory birds.

The history of Dubai Creek

The foundation and development of the city of Dubai is primarily due to the existence of Dubai Creek. The first buildings were built along the inlet. Initially, they were mainly huts of fishermen and pearl divers, but with the settlement of merchants and seafarers, its importance as a port increased continuously. In the 1970s, it was deepened and expanded and made usable for larger ships as well. Nowadays, the importance of the inlet as a trading center has diminished, as major international shipping traffic is handled almost exclusively in Dubai’s two overseas ports.

In recent years, however, the importance of Dubai Creek in terms of tourism has grown all the more. Against the backdrop of the incredibly high speed of urban development of modern Dubai, Dubai Creek still exudes the traditional oriental charm of old Dubai and is accordingly popular with tourists.

Boat tours on Dubai Creek

The best way to experience this charm of old Dubai is by taking a ride on an abra, one of the motor-driven wooden boats that connect the two historic districts of Bur Dubai and Deira in about a 10-minute crossing. By the way, the abras are not just tourist attractions, but are also used by locals and guest workers.

If you want to see more of Dubai Creek and the adjacent districts, you can also book a one-hour boat tour on Dubai Creek. It takes you past traditional houses, small mosques, some of Dubai’s sights and, of course, lively harbor facilities. It is especially interesting to see how the traditional oriental transport ships, the so-called dhaus, are loaded and unloaded with all kinds of goods on the Dubai Creek. Especially in the evening Dubai Creek with its illuminated banks is very beautiful. Many providers therefore also offer dinner cruises, on which you can marvel at the lights of Dubai while having dinner.