#shorts Dubai is known to be one of the urban miracles of the modern world; a futuristic city rising in the middle of a desert is something our ancestors 100 years ago could only imagine in a sci-fi film. It’s hard to imagine that this fascinating location used to be just a tiny fishing village. It seems almost illogical that a small town in a very inconvenient climate zone could become one of the world’s biggest business and financial hubs. How did this happen? To answer this question, let’s have a look at the history of Dubai. The Persian Gulf, however, was still an important area for the British Empire. Being a strategic route connecting London to Bombay, Royal Fleet needed to secure this area from pirates. In the XIX century, the British East India Company signed an agreement with local sheiks, particularly with the Al Maktoum family, the ruling dynasty of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, to secure peace in the area. Al Maktoum dynasty rules Dubai until the present day. Despite the lack of interest from the Empire, Dubai was becoming more and more significant for the region. In 1900 the current ruler announced that no taxes will be charged from the traders, and soon Persian and Indian merchants started moving in. The city was convenient for trading also thanks to Dubai Creek - a saltwater canal that was allowing trading ships to sail from the Gulf right into the city.