The height of nineteenth century elegance
Named after the last ruler of Dubai to live here, Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum’s House gives you a fascinating glimpse of the region’s history. The house was built in 1896 as the residence of Dubai’s ruler, and is a beautifully designed building. The four elegant wind-towers are stunningly simple and iconic. Hop off our Dubai bus tour to explore more.
Today the building is a museum, housing rare historical photos and documents showing how the Dubai Emirate developed. You’ll be transported back to a world before oil, and get to see how Dubai’s ruling family spent their time.
In the pink
Notice a rosy glow when you’re walking around? That’s the coral. The house was built using coral treated with lime and plaster, the standard building materials back in the day. The coral gives the whole building a pink hue – dusk in particular is a wonderful time to see it.
Arts and crafts
The house was built with extremely thick walls to keep things cool. These days it’s fully air conditioned, making it the ideal home for displays of Arabic paintings, lithographs and artefacts. Ideal for any culture vulture seeking to learn more about Dubai’s history.
Other interesting facts about Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum’s House
- Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum was grandfather to the current ruler, Sheikh Mohammed
- The house has a large courtyard and is now divided into a number of independent family units
- Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum lived here until his death in 1958
