Dubai Creek

The 14km (8.7 mile) Dubai Creek is a natural seawater inlet that divides the city of Dubai into two parts—Deira Dubai and Bur Dubai—and is the heart of soul of the city. Long established for its ancient sea routes that reached as far as India and the East African coast, the Creek was originally only deep enough to accommodate smaller vessels and goods had to be transferred to traditional Arab sailing dhows at the entrance to the Creek.

Recognizing the Creek’s strategic importance to the region, it was deepened in the 1960s and today functions as a vibrant port and vital part of the city. A wildlife sanctuary that’s home to over 27,000 birds has been set up at the inland end of the Creek. Reflecting the wealth of one of the fastest growing economies in the world, boutique hotels, golf courses and yachting clubs have sprang up along the Creek’s banks.
Redevelopment work has transformed parts of the Creek’s banks. On the Deira side, a broad and well-lit, paved promenade extends from the Corniche, which faces on the Arabian Gulf, all the way to the attractive purpose-built dhow terminal constructed beside Maktoum Bridge.  On the Bur Dubai side between Maktoum and Garhoud bridges, Creekside Park provides pleasant paved walks and extensive landscaped public gardens.
Visitors will be captivated by the color and bustle of the loading and unloading of dhows which still ply ancient trade routes to places as distant as India and East Africa.
An attractive way to view the Creek and the dhows is from an abra, one of the small water taxis which criss-cross the creek from the souks of Deira to those on the Bur Dubai side.