Dubai Museum records over 1m visitors in 2013

The heart of Dubai's heritage, Dubai Museum, one of the city's most visited tourist and cultural attractions, recorded over one million visitors in 2013, a 12 per cent increase compared to 2012. Providing residents and visitors with vivid insights into the history of the Emirate, Dubai Museum, a must-visit attraction on everyone's itinerary, recorded an impressive 85,000 visitors per month during 2013. Mohammed Al Aridi, Head of Heritage, Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, said: "In just over 40 years, Dubai Museum has become a regional touristic and cultural landmark that combines the Emirate's rich culture and heritage with state-of-the-art technology to provide visitors with unparalleled insights into the evolution of this dynamic city. As the city's focuses on further strengthening its cultural tourism, the Dubai Museum underlines its definitive reputation as a must-visit attraction, drawing in visitors from the world over." Dubai Museum is housed within the spectacularly restored Al Fahidi Fort, which was built around 1787 to defend the city. In 1971, the site was opened to the public as a museum, under the vision of the late Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, displaying a diverse collection of exhibits that offer fascinating insights into the Emirate's rich history and cultural heritage. In 2013, Dubai Culture assumed management of 15 key heritage sites in the Emirate from the Dubai Tourism '&' Commerce Marketing (DTCM) Department, including: Al Ahmadiyah School; Al Shindagha Historical Neighbourhood; Al Sufooh Archeological Site; Bait Sheikh Juma '&' Obaid Bin Thani; Hatta Heritage Village; Heritage and Diving Village; Heritage House; Jumeirah Archaeological Sites 1, 2, and 3; Majlis Ghorfat Umm Al Sheif; Naif Museum; Sarooq Al Hadeed Archeological Site; and Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House. Dubai Culture now manages and operates these key sites including the much-visited tourist attractions in the city such as the Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House, as well as other historically significant landmarks and archeological sites. The move is in line with the founding mandate of Dubai Culture to bring all cultural and heritage initiatives in the city under one umbrella. The Authority is responsible for the day-to-day administration and management of the sites. A number of new initiatives aimed at further strengthening these sites as cultural and touristic referral points of the city have also been rolled out.