Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House

In front of you is the house where Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum, ruler of Dubai from 1912 to 1958, lived for almost half a century. It is one of the oldest buildings in Shindagha and one of the finest examples of a traditional Gulf house.

1A house that kept growing

It was built in 1896, in the time of Sheikh Maktoum bin Hasher, Saeed’s father, and was extended as the family grew. Its plan is organised around courtyards, with reception rooms on the upper floor, the majlis, where the ruler received merchants, tribal leaders and visitors. The wind towers and the nearby sea helped people bear the summer heat.

2Half a century of change

Saeed ruled in very hard times. In the 1930s, the arrival of Japanese cultured pearls and the global depression wrecked the pearl trade on which almost the whole town lived. His son Rashid, who succeeded him in 1958, bet on the port, and in 1966 oil was found offshore. In 1971 Dubai joined the United Arab Emirates.

The current ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Saeed’s grandson, spent his childhood in this house.

After its restoration the house became a museum, with old photographs of Dubai, coins and stamps, and today it is part of the Al Shindagha Museum circuit.

3What to look for

• The wind towers on the roof.
• The wooden windows with latticework that protected the family’s privacy.
• The house’s position, keeping watch over the entrance to the Creek.