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Dubai[dOObI´] Pronunciation Key, sheikhdom (1995 pop. 674,101), c.1,500 sq mi (3,890 sq km), part of the federation of seven United Arab Emirates, SE Arabia, on the Persian Gulf. Little is known of the early history of Dubai, but it appears to have been a dependency of Abu Dhabi until 1833. Along with the other sheikhdoms that now compose the federation, it became a British protectorate in the 19th cent. Dubai became the commercial capital of the sheikhdoms and was an important port of call for British steamers to India. Dubai was at war with Abu Dhabi from 1945 to 1948. Oil was discovered in Dubai in the early 1960s, and production began in 1966. Dubai became part of the United Arab Emirates at its founding in 1971. In the 1970s its deepwater port was modernized and a supertanker dock was constructed. It has an international airport, and has sought to develop itself as a regional center for international corporate headquarters and computer and media companies.
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