13/10/2026
🏙️ Dubai Then & Now
These photographs show just how dramatically Dubai has transformed in a few decades.
In the early days of Sheikh Zayed Road, the Toyota Building stood almost alone in the open desert.
Today the same area is surrounded by skyscrapers, highways, and the Metro.
Places that were once empty desert or sea — Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai, JBR, Bluewaters, and the coastline — are now some of the city’s busiest districts.
Even the Dubai World Trade Centre (opened in 1979), which once stood in near isolation, is now part of a vast and constantly growing city.
A powerful example of rapid urban growth and ambitious city-making.
What do you think about this kind of transformation?