Dubai has a very long history, but not well know. The region was probably first inhabited around 7000 years ago. But the western world almost never heard of Dubai until de Middle Ages, and the first European who visited Dubai, then called Dibei, was Gaspero Balbi, a venetian pearl merchant. It was in 1580.

Dubai inhabitants accepted Islam very soon, around the year 700. Before they were pagans adoring multiple gods, such as Bajar.

It is only in the eighteenth century that Dubai became a well organised city, ruled by a family clan.

In 1820 Dubai signed a peace treaty with the United Kingdom. Since then Dubai was de facto under british protection. In 1892 this protectorat became official. Dubai accepted this british protectorate for many reasons, but mostly to enjoy a better protection against the Ottomans.

It is under this foreign protection than Dubai truly became a well know and visited commercial carrefour. The main factor explaining this first boom was off course Dubai's geografical situation. Dubai has always been a perfect meeting point between the Eastern and Western world.

Since then the City never stopped growing in popularity among merchants off all sorts. But the biggest change, in all Dubai's history, probably came from the discovery of Oil, in the 1950's. It's only then that Dubai started to became a truly modern city, with electricity and everything that comes with it. But tourists were still absent.

In 1971 Dubai formed, with six other Emirates, the UAE, or United Arab Emirates. 

It's only in the 1990's that Dubai became a great attraction for tourists. Since then Dubai is experiencing the biggest boom of it's long history.