Al Seef () or Al Seef Khor is a 1.8 km waterfront promenade along the bank of

Dubai Creek Dubai Creek () is a natural Seawater, saltwater creek (tidal), creek in Dubai. It extends about inwards and forms a natural port that has traditionally been used for trade and transport. The creek ranges from in width while the average depth ...

in the Al Fahidi neighborhood of

Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...

History

The promenade was developed by Dubai-based real estate company

Meraas Meraas is a holding company privately held and headquartered in Dubai with operations and assets in the United Arab Emirates. In 2020, Meraas become a subsidiary of Dubai Holding, following a directive from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ...

and its construction was completed in 2017.

Reception

Cristiano Luchetti, an associate professor at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah, views the Al Seef development as a historically inaccurate extension of the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood. According to Luchetti, Al Seef layout departs from the original narrow alleyways called Sikka traditionally seen in

Bur Dubai Bur Dubai () is a historic district in Dubai, located on the western side of the Dubai Creek. The name is a reference to the traditional separation of the area from Deira by the creek. Description The Ruler's Court is located in the district ...

. Luchetti describes the development as a form of "historical fraud" based on a critical interpretation of the usage of components taken from the features of the local architecture of Dubai without sufficient interpretative key and the use of artificially aged finishes and materials. Marieh Mustafa Sharaf, an urban planner and researcher at

Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi (SUAD), established in 2006, is a higher education institution located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The university was founded under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Presiden ...

, criticized the project for undermining heritage preservation efforts by presenting an inauthentic version of traditional architecture. She highlighted the use of artificial aging techniques that misrepresent Dubai's historical wind tower houses, while the modern section of the development mimics generic real estate designs, leading to architectural confusion among visitors unfamiliar with authentic Emirati heritage.

Gallery

References

{{reflist Waterfronts Architecture in Dubai Architectural controversies