Strategically located at the mouth of Dubai Creek, Shindagha was where the ruling sheikhs and the city elite lived until the 1950s. While a few of the homes have been reconstructed and recast as museums, the area is still lacking new locales, so although it enjoys a lovely position on the Creek, it remains very quiet. A small area is fenced off but once the dust has settled, there will be a new Shindagha Museum, as well as additional exhibits, heritage hotels, cafes and restaurants.
The redevelopment is part of a master plan to create a cohesive historical district on both banks of Dubai Creek in hopes of qualifying for Unesco World Heritage status. The museum promises to be the largest open-air museum in the world.