Map/Chart > The Persian Collection

The Port of Dubai

This historic 'survey sketch' was made by the Royal Navy in 1910.

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This survey sketch of Dubai ‘Dibai’ is part of a larger set of drawings completed by Commander H. F. Walter on behest of the British Royal Navy, 1910.

The plan shows the ‘sandy shore’ coastline (signified as a broken line) leading from the southwest of the Dibai Creek to the north east, with a sandbank that ‘dries to 2 to 3 feet’. Large areas of trees are marked, as are wells to the south west and two smaller settlements of ‘mat huts’ on the north easterly coast. The settlement of Dibai is the focus of this plan, with a large concentration of mat huts on the approach from the south and on the northerly side of the Creek. Landmarks of particular interest to the Royal Navy have been marked: a House, Fort (Lat. 25”15’45”N, Long. 55”18’30”E) and Tower (‘conspic’ - conspicuous) on the southerly stretch of the Creek; the Ferry which provided transport across to Dairah; the Sheikh’s House, NE Tower and Boat, all within or in close proximity to the Dairah settlement itself; and a third Tower (‘conspic’) further inland and to the north east of Dairah.

The Memoirs in the top right corner provides further information in regard to how the plan was constructed ‘on the AB side of 6520 feet, derived from the Ship’s Masthead…’; point B being the top of the mast (crow’s nest) of the survey ship, and point A being the NE Dairah Tower, as seen from 6520 feet (approximately 1.98 kilometres away). ‘Points have been shot in by Sexton Angles from various Anchor Stations… and shore stations…’ All stations are marked in red, with the anchorage symbol being a three point compass (the southerly point being an arrow) and the shore symbol being a circle inside a triangle. A note is also made of the soundings which are ‘reduced to LWOS’ which could perhaps be ‘Level/Low Water Over/On Sand’. Worth noting are the very low water levels on the approach to Dubai, dropping from 8 foot (2.4 metres to a ¼ foot (3 inches being approximately 7.6 centimetres).