About Dubai Creek and the Abras
Before any skyscraper, there was the Creek, an arm of the sea that reaches about 14 km (9 miles) inland and split the city in two: Bur Dubai on one side, Deira on the other. In the early 20th century it was Dubai's only port, and the pearl-fishing boats that sustained the economy until the 1930s sailed from here.
The abras, the city's first public transport, are still run by the government. Between the Al Ghubaiba station in Bur Dubai and Al Sabkha in Deira, they leave every few minutes and charge a coin, paid to the boatman. It may be the cheapest outing of the trip, and one of the most beautiful.
