Dubai has experienced tremendous growth. Two hundred years ago there was nothing but rolling desert sand on the land where the city's metal spires now rise. The Dubai of today would shock the desert nomads, who were once the region's only visitors.
- In 1833, 800 settlers founded the town that would become modern Dubai. Members of the Bani Yas tribe, they established a port, engaged in trade, and dove for pearls. The descendants of the Bani Yas are the current rulers and majority land-owners of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates.
- In 1902, Iran began to collect high tariffs on goods shipped into its port at Bandar Lengeh. Much of Bandar Lengeh's trade went to Dubai, which had no such fees. Regular steamers from India were established two years later, with increased trade and investment following.
- A small minority of Dubai residents are citizens of the emirate. The population is mostly immigrants with work visas and few rights. Foreigners are not allowed to own land in Dubai.
- By law, citizens of Dubai own the property on which their houses stand; only foreigners are obliged to rent. In 2002, Dubai began to allow foreign property ownership, though not land ownership. The change contributed to the real estate boom of the following years.
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