Dubai Before Oil in the 1950s-1960s

The livelihood of the area's inhabitants was based on fishing, pearl diving, boat building and providing accommodation and sustenance for the traders who would pass through on their way to sell gold, spices and textiles – the very wares that can be found in our souks today. The next milestone in the history of the UAE comes in 1793 when the Bani Yas tribe assumed political power and settled in Abu Dhabi, with Dubai becoming a dependency.