Pictures: Dubai, from village to global aviation hub in 60 years

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Pictures: Dubai, from village to global aviation hub in 60 years

60 years ago, Dubai Airport was nothing more than a runway made of compacted sand

Published: October 29, 2019 18:50 Last updated: November 17, 2019 11:07 Compiled by Jay Hilotin, Senior Web News Editor

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NAT 190904 Dubai Airport in the 1960- PIC22-1567760343378 — Sixty years ago this year, Dubai Airport was nothing more than a runway. This is a bird's eye view of the first runway of Dubai Airport, 1959. Image Credit: File

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16. FIRST RUNWAY DUBAI AIRPORT — First runway of Dubai Airport, circa 1959. The 1,800-metre runway was built upon orders of Dubai’s former ruler, Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum. An asphalt runway was added in 1963. Image Credit: File

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Dubai Airport old airport 3232 — Dubai Airport had a modest beginning. This picture shows the original control tower. Image Credit: File

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Full width old photo Dubai airport — An archive photo of Dubai International Airport when it was first built 60 years ago. Image Credit: Dubai Media Office

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NAT 190904 Dubai Airport in the 1960- PIC-1567760337588 — In 1959, Dubai airport was made of compacted sand, with a single runway on a salt flat. Image Credit: File

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NAT 190904 Dubai Airport in the 1960- PIC2-1567760340716

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190906 dubai airport 2 — Dubai International airport in 1971. From 4-5 flights a week and just 40,000 passengers a year, the airport today handles 34,000 flights a month and 88.8 million passengers a year. Image Credit: Supplied

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1.935166-4275113521 — Pearl diving equipment displayed in the Dubai Museum. Pearl diving, known as "Al Tawasha" in Arabic, is a centuries-old tradition of Emirati culture practiced mainly in what has become the United Arab Emirates. Pearls have been found in local excavations at archaeological sites dating back 7,000 years. Image Credit: Gulf News archive

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a DC-3 plane — A DC-3 plane flying in the air. Image Credit: Pixabay

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Prakash Lulla — A black and white picture of the Airlines Hotel started way back in 1959 Image Credit: SUPPLIED

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A view of the old Dubai International Airport — A view of the old Dubai International Airport after the terminal was built in 1970. Image Credit: File

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Old photo of passengers at Dubai airport — Passengers boarding a Middle East Airlines flight at Dubai International Airport. Image Credit: Dubai Media Office

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1.693742-655205702 — Dubai Creek pictured in 1985. The emirate has transformed into a base for media, technology and entertainment Image Credit: Javed Nawab/Gulf News Archive

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1.920215-1320977042 — Inaugural flight EK600 took off for Karachi on October 25, 1985 from Dubai International Airport. Over the last four decades, the UAE has gained global prominence in the aviation industry with Emirates airline in the cockpit Image Credit: Supplied

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1.1158897-3544007415 — Golf was first introduced to Dubai in 1965 by oil workers who laid out a makeshift two hole course in Karama. By the time Emirates Golf Club opened in 1988 [as pictured] it was not only the first grass course in the UAE but also the Middle East. Image Credit: Gulf News Archives

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Dubai International Airport — In 1998, Terminal 2 was built. The second stand, Concourse 1 opened in April 2000. Image Credit: File

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Dubai Airport 1980s and 1990s — In the late 1980s and early 1990s, longer-range aircraft — such as the Boeing 747, A340 and B777 series aircraft were introduced, which had the range to fly between Europe and South East Asia non-stop. Image Credit: File

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In 2004, Dubai commenced the construction of Terminal 3. — In 2004, Dubai commenced the construction of Terminal 3. Image Credit: File

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An aerial view of Dubai International Airport (DXB). — An aerial view of the Dubai International Airport. It is the busiest airport for Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 movements. Image Credit: Supplied

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NAT 190703 DDF44-1562139761776 — Passengers shop at Dubai Duty Free outlet in the newly opened Concourse A — the home of the A380 and the world's first purpose-built facility for the behemoth passenger aircraft at Dubai International. Image Credit: Virendra Saklani/Gulf News

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190731 dubai airport — A scene inside the Dubai International (IATA: DXB), the primary international airport serving Dubai, UAE. It is the world's busiest airport by international passenger traffic, and the fifth-busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic. Image Credit: Gulf News

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Chinese visitors at Dubai International Airport Terminal 3. — Chinese visitors at Dubai International Airport Terminal 3. Image Credit: Supplied

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Dubai International airport — Dubai International airport is the aviation hub with the highest average number of passengers per flight. Image Credit: Gulf News

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Dubai-airport-(Read-Only) — The Dubai International Airport (DXB) tarmac. The airport has retained its position as the world’s busiest airport for several years in a row, with the number of travelers passing through its terminals hitting nearly 90 million in 2018. Image Credit: Supplied

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NAT 190906 DUBAI AIRPORT-1567760353392 — World’s busiest airport: A view of the mid-field concourse at Dubai International (DXB). The airport has exceeded the 8-million-per-month passenger mark twice in 2018, particularly in July, when passenger numbers reached 8.2 million, and in August, which logged 8.4 million flyers. Image Credit:

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190130 courtesy dubai airports — A Chinese dance being performed at Dubai International Airport to launch a week of Chinese New Year celebrations. Dubai Airports has also launched a special magazine edition in Mandarin. Image Credit: Supplied / Dubai Airports

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The Dubai International air traffic control Tower DXB ATC — The Dubai International air traffic control Tower. The airport has adopted the latest technology that improves the conditions of landing and takeoff during fog. DXB can currently handle 28 air traffic per hour during fog, compared to 12 previous movements. Dubai Airport is able to deal with 75 air traffic movements per hour under normal conditions. Image Credit: File

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1.2205051-1340795423 — Air Traffic Control Tower room at Dubai International Airport. Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

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