Bait Al Wakeel, Museum in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Bait Al Wakeel is a museum in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, set right at the abra landing on the Deira side of Dubai Creek. The building shows early 20th-century architecture with a flat roof, crenellated parapet, light brown stone lower facade, arched openings, and a red-and-white awning above a red umbrella at ground level.
The building was completed in 1934 as the first office building in Dubai, ordered by the late Sheikh Rashid. Later it was used by Gray Mackenzie as a shipping office, and in 1995 the structure was fully renovated to house a museum.
Inside, the displays focus on maritime work and fishing traditions once central to daily life along the creek. A restaurant on the lower floor serves seafood with Arabic and Emirati dishes, so the same rooms now continue the old connection between the house, the water, and local food.
From the Deira side, the building is easy to locate beside the small boat landing where abras cross Dubai Creek. A visit combines naturally with a short boat ride, and the rooftop deck offers an open view over the water and the old district.
A local story says that for a long period this place held the largest living space in the city, occupied by the shipping company manager and his family. Today, visitors can climb to the roof deck, where two rows of white air-conditioning units sit behind the low crenellated wall, a detail that shows how the old building has been adapted to modern use.
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