This
photo is taken after the completion of Al Maktoum Bridge and
shows the Clock Tower Roundabout completed. Dubai's roads were
not busy in 1965! The buildings on the left are:- (front)
Dubai Trade School established by Sheikh Rashid to teach
National boys trade skills. (behind) Dubai Industrial Gases
and Oxygen Company where industrial gases were manufactured
for local use and export. (back) Dubai Municipality Fire
Brigade Station. (top right) Tanks are part of Shell Oil
Company's Bitumen Plant where bitumen was manufactured and
stored for local use and export. Small bitumen tanker ships
berthed alongside the tanks to load their cargoes. Bitumen was
in demand in the region for the road
construction.
Dubai
Clock Tower 1967: As seen from the Carlton
Hotel
Taken
from the roof of the Carlton Hotel in Diera in 1967. Clock
Tower can be seen in the distance (arrow). In the centre of
the photo is the old Dubai Municipality Building. Behind that
is the Dubai Electricty Company's Power Station that supplied
Dubai's electricity. All the buildings in the foreground have
been
demolished.
Behind
the Clock Tower is one of the first "high rise" buildings in
Dubai. It was known as the Phillips Building because of a
large advertisement on the top of the building for Phillips
Electrical of Holland. In 1971 the facade on one side of the
building collapsed crushing a number of cars but without
injury to any people. The building was subsequently
demolished.
Dubai
Airport
opened in 1960. Sheikh Rashid decided to build the Airport
after the British Government funded an Airport at nearby
Sharjah. He believed an Airport was crucial to Dubai's
future.
Al
Ghusais was chosen as the location for the new Airport because
it was close the Dubai City and easy to get to. Jebel Ali was
the preferred site but was further from Dubai than Sharjah.
Sheikh Rashid thought people would still prefer to use Sharjah
Airport.
Al
Ghusais had been used as a landing strip by Frank Blumford,
the Founder of Gulf
Aviation. Frank often flew Gold Bullion into
Dubai, landing on the sand at Al Ghusais. He advised Sheikh
Rashid Al Ghusais was suitable for an Airport. Dubai's first
runway was made from compacted sand. An MEA Heron was the
first flight to land on the runway. MEA declared the runway
safe after a series of test
landings.
When
four engined Vickers Viscounts came into service they caused
damage to the runway frequently blowing the holes in the
runway's compacted sand. Sheikh Rashid ordered the runaway be
rebuilt using
concrete.
July
1962. Start of building Al Maktoum Bridge Road Ramp being
reclaimed with dredged material from Dubai Creek.Al Maktoum
Bridge was built by Overseas AST. They were an Austrian
Engineering and Construction Company who established in Dubai
in 1959. Overseas AST were responsible for constructing many
of Dubai's first projects. Sir William Halcrow and Partners
were Consultants for Al Maktoum
Bridge.
Shows
Overseas AST's Site Works on the Deira side of Dubai Creek.
This area had been reclaimed with dredged material. Site was
later developed into Dubai's Oilfields Supplies Centre which
supplied oil field materials and equipment to the offshore oil
industry. Oilfields Supplies Centre later relocated to Jebel
Ali Free Zone. This Site is now under development. The
completed Al Maktoum Bridge can be seen, also Cement Storage
Sheds and loading Jetties on Dubai side of the
Creek.
In
the mid 1950s Dubai's Creek filled with sand becoming very shallow
and difficult to navigate. Dubai's trade was affected. Diera's
coastline was eroding and buildings and roads along the coast were
threatened. Dubai's Merchants and People were
complaining.
