What began as a small rest stop eventually became the foundation for the UAE’s hospitality sector. From that modest beginning in the 1930s, the country’s hotel industry developed rapidly, evolving through the oil era and later into an international hub for leisure and luxury. Over the decades, simple guesthouses gave way to world-class resorts and iconic landmarks such as Burj Al Arab and Atlantis in Dubai. The initial project of 1932, though humble in scale, can therefore be seen as the cornerstone of a journey that positioned the UAE among the world’s leading destinations for tourism.
