In Pictures: Dubai's Al Fahidi Fort the oldest existing building in Dubai

Dubai Museum, in Al Fahidi Fort, is situated south of Dubai Creek, at the Al Souk Al Kabir area, which teems with vigorous trade and is close to the Ruler's Court.

Dubai is undertaking a new renovation project, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, announced in January 2021 while recreating an iconic photo of the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum (pictured above). The initiative would be to renovate Al Fahidi Fort, which is also home to Dubai Museum.

The Al Fahidi Fort was built in 1787 and served as the headquarters for the Ruler of the emirate. It was restored during the reign of the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

Later on, this fort turned into an arsenal for artillery and weapons. It was also used as a prison for the outlaws. This fort was renovated during the reign of the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

It was opened in 1971 (the year the federation was formed) to be an official museum that displays the history of Dubai and its original heritage. In 1995, another underground museum was established and added to the old fort.

Al Fahidi Fort welcomed around 1.5 million visitors in 2019, bringing the total number of visitors to the museum since its inauguration to almost 17 million visitors from across the world.

The visitors of the Dubai Museum "Al Fahidi Fort" have an opportunity to get rich, full and integral knowledge of the ancient history of Dubai that interacted with different people and civilizations across history.

Visitors will get acquainted with the different environments of urban and rural lives in Dubai, whether they are marine, coastal, desert, mountain or agricultural life.

The museum consists of the monuments wing, displaying antique monuments such as pottery, weapons, tombs, buildings and urban communities. The wing of Dubai between the past and the present, the market in the 1950s wing, displays ample examples reflecting the market atmosphere, vendors, shops and goods sold in those times. The traditional home and masjid wing, the oasis wing, the desert, and the water and desert story at night. There is also the astronomy and natural phenomena wing and a sea wing that takes the visitor on a breathtaking tour to get to know shipbuilding and the manufacture of shipping equipment, the profession of pearl diving and the marine life on the floor of the Arabian Gulf.

The musuem is currently closed for renovation. The rehabilitation project of Al Fahidi Fort comes as part of the second phase of the redevelopment and revitalisation of the Dubai Historical District, a joint project between the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, Dubai Municipality and the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, which aims to preserve the emirate’s rich history and heritage and situate the district as a vibrant cultural hub for visitors.