Dubai Creek, Khor Dubai

The saltwater creek located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates named Khor Dubai or Dubai Creek ends at Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary. The Ancient Greeks called it River Zara and it extended as far inland as Al Ain, some sources say. The Dubai Creek devides the city into two main sections – Deira and Bur Dubai. Members of the Bani Yas tribe first settled in Khor Dubai in the 19th century, establishing the Al Maktoum dynasty in the city.

The creek was incapable then of supporting large scale transportation, in the early 20th century so it served as a minor port for dhows (a traditional Arab sailing vessel with one or more lateen sails) coming as far away as East Africa or India. The Dubai Creek, being the only port or harbour in the city, remained an important element in establishing the commercial position of Dubai, no matter it impeded the entry of ships due to current flow. Prior to the invention of cultured pearls in the 1930s, Dubai's pearling industry, which formed the main sector of the city's economy, was based primarily on expeditions in the creek.

Also based along the Dubai Creek , whose warm and shallow waters supported a wide variety of marine life, was the fishing industry, important at the time. On the foreshore of the creek were built dhows used for purposes of fishing. The importance of the creek as a site of commercial activity was to facilitate loading and unloading activities, as well as justification to introduce improvements to allow larger vessels to transit, leading in 1955 to a plan develop the creek involving building of breakwaters, dredging shallow areas and developing its beach to become a quay suitable for loading and unloading of cargo.

To permit 7 feet (2.1 m) draft vessels to cross through the creek at all times, the Dubai Creek was dredged in 1961. Then in the 1960's and the 1970's it was dredged again for shipping of up to 500 tons, which opened the Khor Dubai to much more continuous traffic of merchandise, including the development of re-export, and gave Dubai an advantage over the other dominant trading centre in the region at the time, Sharjah.

The first bridge connecting Bur Dubai and Deira was constructed in 1963 and called Al Maktoum Bridge. After the development of the Jebel Ali Port the importance of the creek as a port has diminished, but Port Saeed and other smaller facilities continue to exist along the creek, providing porting to traders from the region and the subcontinent. Then as the years go by, there were build another three bridges crossing on Dubai Creek: Al Garhoud Bridge, Floating Bridge, Dubai and Business Bay Crossing and a tunnel - Al Shindagha Tunnel. The Fifth Bridge, The Seventh Crossing and Al Shindagha Bridge are the three additional bridges being planned for Dubai Creek.

Recently an extension part of the Business Bay development has been approved, that brings the Dubai Creek into the Persian Gulf and all the way around Bur Dubai. Initially it added 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to the Khor Dubai, which costs Dhs. 484 million (US$132 million) and was increased to 12.2 kilometres (7.6 mi). By 2010.

Additionally, A new project consisting of seven islands known as was proposed to be built on Dubai Creek. The Lagoons, a new project consisting of seven islands, was proposed to be built on Dubai Creek additionally and on the centre island will be a set of towers of which the tallest will top 400 metres (1312 ft) and two exceeding 300 metres (980 ft), called Dubai Towers Dubai. Now On the Creek you can see the Including the most remarkable buildings alongside the Deira side of the it like Sheraton Dubai Creek, the Deira Twin Towers, Dubai Creek Tower, Chamber of Commerce and The National Bank.