The Manifestation of Dubai’s Petroleum Economy in its Architecture and Urban Development: 1930–1980

Abstract

In 1966, after about 30 years of oil and gas exploration, oil was discovered offshore from Dubai. The oil revenues began to flow to the city, opening doors for a new era of development. Dubai was keen on using the oil revenues to invest mainly in the city’s infrastructure. The new “petroleum economy” manifested itself in the transformation of the Dubai city map and architecture, contributing toward the modern metropolis we know today. This transformation, both physically and chronologically, took place between the two trade ports of the city—Port Rashid to the north and Jebel Ali to the south—along today’s approximately 40-kilometer Sheikh Zayed artery that links the two ends. This essay is an attempt to investigate the role of some distinctive oil-related events between the 1930s and 1970s that influenced the city’s development. The focus is placed on events connected to oil excavations, discoveries, and socio-economic and spatial development. This essay has two main objectives: The first is to understand the emergence of Dubai as a modern city within its historical context and to exhibit the manifestation of the petroleum economy that is considered to be the chief pioneer in the formation of the city skyline and spatial identity. The second is to assess the achievements during the 1930s through the 1970s in relation to infrastructure, planning, and architecture.