Deira's Clock Tower set for major upgrade

The iconic Deira Clock Tower roundabout will become greener, and feature multi-coloured lighting along with a swankier water fountain.

Dubai Municipality said the redevelopment of the 1960s-era Deira Clock Tower roundabout was already under way. They have vowed to ensure that the new design will preserve the old structure “without affecting its historical or architectural significance”. The clock tower, which was built in 1963 and has been telling time for over six decades, has an amazing backstory.

The clock at the centre of the concrete structure is said to have been gifted to the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, then Dubai Ruler, by the Ruler of Qatar. The clock, imported from Manchester, United Kingdom, became an integral part of the tower.

According to local media reports, It was designed by Syrian architect Zaki Al Hosmi, completed in the mid-1960s and is known for its swooping arches.

The roundabout was then a vital link connecting the bustling metropolis to the major thoroughfares that led travellers and traders to their destinations. Back in the 60s and 70s, when there were no skyscrapers dotting the Dubai skyline, the clock tower was among the first things they would see.

It was the first land passage between Deira and Bur Dubai, located at the intersection of Umm Hurair and Al Maktoum streets — one of the most important crossroads in Dubai. Before the construction of the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Road, it served as a meeting point for the main highways leading to Dubai.