Page 39 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Dubai & Abu Dhabi

Culture and Tradition ❮❮ 37

Appreciate the beauty of the Arabian
horse at the Heritage and Diving MOMENTS IN HISTORY
Village (see p66) during both Eid
and the Dubai Shopping Festival.
Pearling
8
Up until the 1920s, pearling
was Dubai’s major source of income.
By the turn of the 20th century the
city had well over 1,000 pearling
boats employing most of the city’s
men during pearling season.

The Date Palm
9 Death of Sheikh Zayed
Dates were essen tial for
desert survival. They were used to 1 5110 BC: Abu Dhabi settlement
Date stones on Dalma Island and flint
create tamr, a preserve, tools on Merawah Island attest to
which helped sustain human life in Abu Dhabi in 5110 BC.
the Bedu over long 2 AD 700: Islam arrives
journeys. There The Umayyads bring Islam to Arabia.
are over 50 date 3 1507: European traders reach
varieties in the the Gulf
UAE. The Dubai The Portuguese invasion of the Gulf
Food Souk (see p59) islands and the east coast paves the
A basket is the best place to way for Arabia to start trading with
of dates shop for dates. British, French and Dutch ships.
Henna
0 4 1793: Al Bu Falah tribe settles
in Abu Dhabi
Intricate henna patterns were
painted on pottery across the Middle The Al Bu Falah and Al Nahayan
tribes settle in Abu Dhabi.
East in around 9000 BC (the start of 5 1833: Al Maktoum tribe arrives
the Neolithic period). Today, Emirati in Dubai
women have henna designs painted Under the leadership of Maktoum bin
on their hands and feet for weddings Buti Al Maktoum, the Al Maktoum tribe
and other events. Get henna designs settles at the mouth of Dubai Creek.
at “henna tents” in shopping malls. 6 1894: Tax-free trading
Dubai introduces tax exemptions
for foreigners. Persians are the
first expats.
7 1950s: Discovery of oil
Oil is discovered in Abu Dhabi in 1958
and Dubai in 1966. The fortunes of the
cities are immediately transformed.
8 1971: UAE established
The seven emirates become the
UAE Federation, with Sheikh Zayed
bin Sultan Al Nahyan, ruler of Abu
Dhabi, as the new President.
9 2004: Death of Sheikh Zayed
The UAE goes into mourning with
the death of its president.
10 2008: Credit crunch
The global financial crisis sends Dubai
to the brink of bankruptcy before
intervention from Abu Dhabi.
Henna designs being applied

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