Page 40 - UAE Truncal States_Neat
P. 40

1


                                                Geographical Conditions

         Dubai is only some 3,900 square kilometres of desert, but it includes
         the small mountainous enclave of Halta at the border with Oman,
         and the relatively green desert surrounding the twin city of Dubai
         and Dairah, which extends inland along the border with Abu Dhabi.
         This city, however, straddles both sides of a creek which affords one
         of the few natural harbours on the shallow coast. Like the
         neighbouring creeks at Sharjah, Umm al Qaiwain, and several other
         coastal villages, the access route to this harbour is in jeopardy
         because the prevailing south-north current along the coast causes
         sandbars to build up across the mouth of the creek. In Dubai steps
         have been taken to counteract this natural process by dredging the
         approaches and stabilising the shores of the creek. These measures
         have proved beneficial to the fast-expanding maritime trade of this
         port. Further efforts were made to encourage this growing trade by
         building nearby a deep-water harbour which, with a dredged depth
         of 30 feet (10 metres) at low water, can take ocean-going vessels. By
         April 1980, 35 berths were in operation and more may be built. A new
         harbour with 74 berths is being constructed at Jabal 'Ali, 20
         kilometres west of the town, to serve the new industries which are
         being set up there. The population of the State of Dubai has grown
         rapidly, as trade through its harbour expanded and more recently
         since the start of oil exports. It had reached 278,000 at the recent
         population census of December 1980. It is only 14 kilometres by road
         from the town-centre of Dubai to that of the neighbouring Emirate of
         Sharjah. Dubai enjoys a pre-eminent position in the Northern States.
         There is a convenient road-link with the three other Emirates to the    f
         north, 'Ajman, Umm al Qaiwain, and Ra’s al Khaimah, and across the
         mountains to Fujairah on the east coast. This position is further
         underlined by the fact that its commercial connections and skills
         make it a convenient centre for the supply of goods and services to all
         these States.

         Sharjah
         Sharjah, which enjoys a similar geographical situation, might have
         grown into this same function but for the fact that its creek has been   i
         silting up faster, and a remedy came later to meet the challenge of the
         already advanced neighbour. In the late 1930s, at a time when the
         other Emirates were looking to the sea for a livelihood, Sharjah’s
         population benefited from the establishment of a staging-post for
         Imperial Airways’ flying boats en route to India. The 2,600 square
                                                                                !
                                                                  15
   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45