Dubai had changed little by 1963 except:
Power Station had been built but mostly supplied Deira only
Piped fresh water was now available in Dubai and Deira
Dubai Creek had been dredged to make navigation easier
Dubai now had its own Airport.
Image by Ludwig Hejze
We lived in a top floor apartment in Deira above Dubai Petroleum Company's Office.
DPC flew a Dubai Flag on the roof
The flag was raised every morning and lowered every evening.
From our balcony we could see across Dubai Creek to Gray Mackenzie and Co. original office and the National Bank of Dubai.
Dubaiside had cluster of Windtowers which always reminded me of my home town Oxford.
Windtowers were the same colour as Cotswold Stone and a similar silhouette to the Oxford Colleges.Meg Twycross
My then husband worked for Shell Markets Middle East (their main office was in Doha).
We were selling oil to the Arabs, which most people now consider a riotously funny concept.
We actually spent most of our time trying to outwit BP, a much bigger outfit.
From our balcony, we looked across Deira's Windtowers towards Creek entrance and the anchorage. Ships anchored outside in the Gulf to discharge their cargoes into Lighters or Barges to be towed into Dubai Creek and unloaded.
We had telescope on the balcony to see what was being unloaded. If it was anything mechanical, we'd rush off to the Importers with suggestions as to the lubricating oil they might like to buy from us to keep it going!
Seismologists were around creating their mini-earthquakes searching for oil. I don't think they had come up with anything really solid yet, though it looked promising.
The Austrian/Kuwaitis company Overseas AST Company were making a start on [deepening] the harbour. Dubai was a great place, and as you can see from my photographs, very beautiful. Also prosperous then even without the aid of oil, mainly through trade, and, of course, gold-running to India. Hence the large number of Creekside Banks, and disproportionate number of youthful Bankers.
Dubai's Gold was flown into Sharjah; So much gold that I don't think Dubai Airport's runway would have taken the weight.
I once had the privilege of riding from Sharjah to Dubai in the back of a LandRover on top of crates full with ten-tola gold bars, along with a man with a rifle!Meg Twycross
We saw Sheikh Rashid returning from an overseas trip at Dubai Airport.
Everyone rushed up to greet and embrace him. This could be quite dangerous when an enthusiastic aged tribesman had a very aged and insecure rifle slung over his shoulder! Fortunately no-one ever put out his eye or accidentally blew his head off, though several times watching it my husband and I winced together!
Sheikh Rashid made a point of being universally available.
Most of my photos are either from our Deira Apartment or from an abra crossing the Creek.
To my regret, I never got a photo of the [British Political] Agency launch ferrying the Political Agent (James Craig) out to a formal reception on one of the warships which anchored off Dubai.
He used to stand in the launch's stern wearing full ceremonial dress complete with a Horatio Hornblower-type hat with white plumes!Meg Twycross
This photo taken from Meg's balcony shows Windtowers and Traditional Buildings were spread across Dubaiside.
Within ten years, nearly all these buildings had been demolished to make way for modern buildings.
Sheikh Rashid's Creekside Office (previously the Customs House) against backdrop of Bastakia's Windtowers.
Most of these were demolished and only a few saved from that fate.
Water Tower then critical for Dubai's water supply in background
They too have disappeared from Dubai's Horizon.
Looking across Deira, Dubai Creek towards Shindaga and the sea.
Port Rashid had yet to be built. Ships still anchored offshore to discharge their cargoes.
Original National Bank of Dubai building next to what was to become Captain's Stores.
Traditional buildings behind the National Bank building were soon to be demolished.
Dilmun Navigation Tanker makes its way up Dubai Creek.