Heritage and Diving Village

Near Al Shindaga Tunnel
Bur Dubai
Dubai
Tel: +971 (0)4 393 7151
Open: daily, 9am-9pm

A traditional heritage village, located in the Shindagah area has been created where potters and weavers display their crafts.

The Diving village forms part of an ambitious plan to turn the entire area into a cultural microcosm, recreating life in Dubai as it was in days gone by. Located near the mouth of the creek, this area is also popular in the evenings as a venue for its open-air cafeterias and live entertainment. Several shops also sell handicrafts. No entrance fees. Tel: 3937151

Dubai’s Heritage and Diving Village may look fake and touristy, but it provides about as close a glimpse as you will get of the days when pearl-trading and smuggling were the tiny emirate’s main revenues. The centre’s flat, sand-coloured houses with traditional bastikiya (wind-towers) provide startling contrast to the ultra-modern buildings along Dubai Creek.

The Heritage Village focuses on the UAE’s maritime past, trading activities and local history. There are several traditional shops, handicraft stores and exhibitions—you can also ride a camel.

The Diving Village is a motley collection of pearl-diving artefacts and pictures of Dubai’s pearl divers and marine life. Some of the black and white photos are interesting, reflecting the tough life that many divers endured before scuba diving was invented.

Afterwards, you can recover at one of the cafés by the water. The surrounding area has been refurbished and around 30 houses have been rebuilt. Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum’s House is nearby.

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