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Here’s what you should know about the iconic Deira clock tower if you’ve never been to the Deira district in Dubai
1 October 2018
| Last updated on 14 January 2020
While Dubai is now known for Burj Khalifa and the sky towering buildings in Marina, JBR, Downtown and more…the original distinctive icon in Dubai was the Deira clock tower.
Dubai, a concrete jungle, wasn’t always the sky-scrapper city of the UAE – prior to the world’s tallest building, Dubai was home to a humble clock statue in what is still an extremely busy location.
A relatively young city, Dubai is still growing and assembling its identity. However, Deira has already built a recognizable identity within the residents in the city.
For those who are new to the city, Deira is an area that is bordered by the Persian Gulf, the city of Sharjah and the Dubai Creek.
Up until recently, Deira was the commercial centre of Dubai and a significant historical area – there are traditional markets, small shipping boats, dhow cruises, traditional houses and museums. It is also home to Dubai’s International Airport.
And since then, the area has developed a lot; there have been several reconstructions of the area to help ease traffic and pedestrian mobility with the help of an underground metro and expansion of roads to and from the area.
And in true Dubai fashion, a number of shopping malls have sprung up in Deira with modern buildings and towers to make the area more residential-friendly.
Here are 6 historical facts about the Deira clock tower that are fascinating to Dubai’s rich history.
6. It is almost 58 years old
The construction of the Deira clock tower began around the 1960s and was revealed to the public in 1963.
It was then reconstructed in 1989 to help maintain this iconic landmark for years to come.
5. It was a gift to Sheikh Rashid
This iconic clock tower was actually a gift to Sheikh Rashid in the 1960s, he then ordered that the tower needed to be built in the commercial area of Deira for everyone in the area to enjoy.
4. It was built as a celebration
Deira’s clock tower was actually built to celebrate the country’s first oil export from the UAE and has been a historic reminder and a major landmark.
Because prior to the oil export, Dubai’s economy relied on fishing and pearling during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
3. It was built from steel
The clock was originally built using steel reinforcements but have since then corroded.
After the refurbishment of the tower, concrete was added to help keep the tower secure and eliminate any more erosion.
2. The clock faces were only replaced once
That’s right, the clock faces on Deira’s clock tower have only been replaced once throughout its history – which took place in November of 2008.
They were replaced with Omega models that included GPS devices for extreme accuracy and eliminates any manual need to change the clock on site.
1. It is located at a vital link
The location of the clock tower was once set in the busiest centre of Dubai, but as the city expanded the tower became a permanent structure at the gateway of Maktoum Bridge – it links two extremely busy areas; Bur Dubai and Deira.
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