The history of civil aviation in Dubai is really the history of Dubai itself. The emirate's rapid and
amazing growth in the last half-century from an important yet small regional trading hub into a vital,
strategic global business and shipping centre simply could not have happened without the aviation
sector which contributes directly and indirectly up to a quarter of Dubai's total GDP.

When I started researching and writing the book, little did I know about the size and scope of the
challenges I would face. There were almost no resources whatsoever in Arabic, and many of the people
involved in the aviation sector in the 1960s and 1970s were retired and difficult to track down.
But I persevered; over the five years it took to research and write the book, I travelled all around
the UAE, combing through thousands of documents from the British Archives, the most valuable
source for the region's civil aviation history, piecing together clues to form the whole picture – from
the motivations of the key players and they machinations of the sociopolitical system at the time. I also
spent much effort in interviewing scores of people who lived the times – who are literally eyewitnesses
to history – painstakingly recording their first-hand observations about life at the airport and in Dubai
over the last 50 years.

Such a vast wealth of research mixed with personal narrative on the subject of aviation in Dubai had
never been published before the Arabic edition of this book, which was released by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin
Saeed Al Maktoum in March 2011. I feel both humble and pleased that, with the help of some of my veteran
journalist friends, I have now been able to bring all of this information to light in English, and add my own small contribution to the world of reference material that can be enjoyed by readers for years to come.

The book is divided into 26 chapters for the purpose of reviewing and analysing the developments
and challenges in the aviation industry.

Chapter 1 traces the obsession of humanity with aviation. In the 9th century AD, Arabs made their
mark on the history of aviation when Abbas Ibn Firnas unsuccessfully tried to fly using a set of wings.
It also covers the start of the aviation era in 1903 when the Wright brothers invented and built the
world's first successful airplane. The word 'airport' was first used by the New York Times on April 11,
1902, and another term, 'airstrip', came into use.

It also highlights the progress of the aviation industry in the 20th century. In the period between the
two world wars, aviation became the most promising mode of travel for long distances. Aviation and
flight experiments became the obsession of decision-makers in the Western world, and air transport
companies in Europe and the United States started gathering their strength to form the nucleus of
international carriers.

After the Second World War, there was a big transformation in the aviation industry when thousands
of military aircraft were converted for commercial use and a number of world aviation bodies were
formed, including IATA in April 1945, ICAO in April 1947, and other bodies coordinating air transport
operations at the world level.

The historical background of Dubai and its strategic location in the Arabian Gulf is discussed in
Chapter 2, along with the political and economic conditions of the UAE coast, the British presence in
the region from 1823 to 1971, and the emergence of airstrips and water landing facilities that were later
transformed into airports.

The rise of Dubai as a trading hub, how Dubai as a whole was made like a 'free zone' in 1903 due to
the vision of the Al Maktoum family, and the first landing strips are also highlighted in addition to the
global economic crisis of 1929.

I believe the historical chapters to be the heart of the book as most of us are not aware about the
happenings during that period. Here one will discover how Sheikh Rashid, with a few thousand
Rupees, went ahead with laying the foundation of the aviation industry in the emirate by building the
first airport in 1960, which in the following decades underwent one expansion after another to become
the world's most favoured hub.

The correspondence between the British administration and Sheikh Rashid clearly shows that he
was averse to the concept of a 'closed economy' and always committed himself to the Open Skies
policy. These correspondences and agreements that he signed with the British government, some of
which are being published for the first time in this book, reflect highly of his understanding of the
business, the aviation industry's needs, and what was good for Dubai.

Another interesting success story is the evolution of Dubai Duty Free (DDF) and its truly amazing
transformation from a facility with only a few kiosks selling souvenirs, antiques and travellers' needs
in the early 1960s, to being the world's single largest duty free operation today. In its initial years,
Emirati businessman Abdullah Al Jaber used to run to the airport to open his 2m x 2m kiosk after
hearing the roar of the aircraft flying over his house in Port Said. The clients used to be mostly pilots,
who gave him their shopping lists in advance.

A new window of opportunity for Dubai opened up with the 1985 launch of Emirates Airline, which
in a matter of two and a half decades has become an unrepeatable feat in the industry in terms of its phenomenal growth.

In Chapter 25, readers will discover how Dubai surprised the world and the aviation industry once
again by launching the Dubai World Central (DWC) project in 2006, which will see the building of the
world's biggest airport with a capacity to handle 160 million passengers a year. The airport, located
very closely to Jebel Ali Port, helped established Dubai Logistics Corridor, which links sea, land and
air, and is spread over an area of approximately 200 square kilometres. The corridor bridges Jebel
Ali Port, the sixth-largest container port in the world, Jebel Ali Free Zone, host to more than 6,500
companies, and DWC airport.

The concluding chapter offers glimpses into the Dubai aviation industry's future. Dubai will invest
AED28 billion to expand the capacity of Dubai International to handle more than 98 million passengers
a year. Dubai Airports' 'Strategic Plan 2020' that is currently being implemented covers expansion
and improvements across the aviation infrastructure at Dubai International. At a time when the global
aviation industry is facing challenges, Dubai is ahead of others in accommodating the tremendous
growth that Emirates, the budget-airline flydubai and some 150 other carriers have created, not to
mention the 220 destinations across six continents they link Dubai with.
Dear readers, Dubai has been a source of inspiration for many individuals and governments for
its trademark style of dreaming big and going about realising these dreams with an unfaltering
determination.

Dubai continues to teach me about how to pursue dreams and turn challenges into opportunities, to
not just sit back and wait to face the future, but enable it for better prospects.
I want this book, above all, to be a record of Dubai as a place of peace and prosperity, home to people
of countless different creeds and cultures who came here following their dreams and were rewarded
by the city for their hard work and dedication to its growth and prosperity. It is this spirit which makes
Dubai great, and this spirit which drives its people to reach further and further to the skies.

In conclusion, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed
Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman
and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, who not only encouraged, but guided me take up
this challenge of putting together this success story.

Dear readers, in this book you will have the opportunity to fly through the aviation history of Dubai,
and share in its dreams and future prospects. I hope you will enjoy reading this amazing success story.
It is, I fervently hope, your ticket to an enjoyable journey in time.