Dubai's historic Al Fahidi Fort is being prepared for a grand reopening, five years after its doors closed and major restoration work began.
Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed, Chairwoman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, said the emirate's oldest structure would reopen its doors “soon” during a site visit on Sunday.
The building, at the heart of Old Dubai, was built in 1787 by the Emirate's ruling family and has become a cultural jewel in the centuries since.
“During a site visit, I reviewed the progress of Al Fahidi Fort rehabilitation works,” Sheikha Latifa said, in remarks shared by Dubai Media Office.
“As you stand between the walls of Dubai’s oldest surviving structure, you find yourself face-to-face with the earliest beginnings of a city that believed in its dream and continues to move forward with confidence from one achievement to the next.
“Soon, when the fort reopens its doors, it will become a space where we reconnect with the spirit of old Dubai. We will share with future generations the story as it began and as it continues, chapter by chapter.”
In 1969, members of the Dubai ruling family sent a letter to Sheikh Badr Mohammad Al Sabah, head of the office of state in Kuwait, asking for the help of a museum expert to transform the building.
Two years later, in 1971, the fort was renovated as a museum, and now houses the Dubai Museum, which features a wide variety of exhibitions and displays paying homage to the city's rich heritage and traditions.
The fort is scheduled to reopen in the first half of this year. It will boast a sprawling museum space made up of six main galleries and exhibition areas featuring a wide range of artefacts, archival photographs, and historical documents.
The displays will harness advanced digital media to tell the story of the site's evolution over the years.
The fort has taken on many roles over the years, from serving as a royal residence and a prison to an arsenal.
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Dubai in 1950; Bur Dubai in the foreground (centred on Al Fahidi Fort); Deira in middle-right on the other side of the creek; and Al Shindagha, left, and Al Ras, right, in the background across the creek again from Deira. Alamy -
The area in front of the historic Al Fahidi Fort in Dubai is decorated with an installation of a traditional dhow. Alamy -
The entrance of the Dubai Museum and Al Fahidi Fort in Dubai. Alamy -
Very old cans of Kraft cheese are displayed in a reproduction of a traditional souq food shop at Dubai Museum in Bur Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Tourists at the souvenir shop in Dubai Museum in 2008. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National -
Various articles on display at Dubai Museum. Pawan Singh / The National -
A view of the shops, traditional dhow and Dubai Museum in Meena Bazaar area in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
Revamp years in the making
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, announced the rehabilitation works in January 2021.
He visited the fort in 2024 for a progress report, highlighting the significance of the heritage centre.
“The rehabilitation project highlights our commitment to safeguarding Dubai’s heritage and showcases our efforts to blend the richness of our history with the dynamism of our future,” he said at the time.
