1959 First Dubai Airport ordered by Dubai's Ruler Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
Dubai's First Airport was built by Costain Group UK
Runway made from compacted sand and 1,800 metres long
Dubai Airport Terminal Building 1960
Dubai Airport and the aerial view of Dubai had changed between my first arrival in March 1971 and my last departure in 2009.
1971 Dubai Airport had just one Departure Gate and one Arrival Gate - the same Gate!
1970s departures for international destinations usually meant night departures and no opportunity to photograph Dubai from the air.
Departing Dubai Airport for Australia in 2009 was a vastly different experience.
My early morning Emirates flight departed Gate Number 297 with a clear "Bird's Eye View" of Dubai!
In 1971, Dubai Airport was surrounded by sparsely populated desert.
In 2009 desert sand had all but disappeared replaced by sprawling urban developments.
Len Chapman - Brisbane 2020
