John Harris and Dubai. Political insights, urban planning and architectural landmarks

Only 50 years ago, Dubai was a small village of fishermen and shopkeepers, lacking paved roads, running water and with few telephone lines. Today, it’s a fascinating and glimmering young city projected to the future. This rapid transformation has been the result of a complex set of economic and social dynamics and of strategic political choices. The sudden dis- covery of oil in the 60s was a turning point in the history of the city, as well as the raise to the power of Sheikh Rashid II bin Saeed Al Maktoum, which through the British architect John Harris, settled the first leading guidelines for the future expansion of Dubai. Reliable advisor of the Sheikh, Harris was the author of the first masterplans in the 60s and 70s, an initial attempt to govern the city’s rapid growth and to establish a network of modern infra- structures. Formed under a Modernist sway at the AA in Lon- don, Harris was the designer of many of the first Dubai’s most prominent buildings, such as hospitals, banks, hotels, till one of its first urban landmarks: World Trade Centre, built in 1979. This paper will attempt to unfold the political motivations behind the design choices undertaken by John Harris, which following Sheikh Rashid’s aspirations prepared Dubai to be- come a global city during the following decades.