Did Dubai Almost Become Part of India in 1947? Historian Sam Dalrymple Recalls How the Modern-Day City of Skyscrapers Was Once Under British India

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DUBAI, A CITY LOCATED IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE), is often referred to as a premier entrepôt and the “City of Gold.” Doing justice to its nicknames, Dubai is a city of skyscrapers and a hub for the richest of the rich. It ranks second on the Intelligent Cities Index, according to a report by the Dubai Digital Authority. This city, home to some of the fanciest buildings and, of course, the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower, is deemed by many to be the future of all cities. 

However, did you know Dubai almost became part of India in 1947? It sounds unbelievable, and this case almost sounds like a scenario where a time traveller moves a chair and suddenly something highly unlikely becomes the new reality.

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Dubai’s connection with India is not fiction. In fact, historian and author Sam Dalrymple stated in a BBC article that Dubai and other parts of the Gulf were once administered under British India. Here is the forgotten story of the UAE’s connection with Colonial India.

Was Dubai Part of India?

For years, Dubai, along with other regions such as Yemen and Oman, was administered under British India, which served as a headquarters for the British. As reported by India Today, back in the early 20th century, the UAE had not yet been formed, and Britain ruled over Dubai, Sharjah, and other sheikhdoms, but did not administer them directly from London. Instead, they oversaw and governed these regions from India.

Author Dalrymple noted in his BBC article how a Times correspondent named David Holden had found traces of British India in some parts of the Gulf such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman in 1956.  Sam Dalrymple is a Delhi-based Scottish historian who graduated from Oxford University, majoring in Persian and Sanskrit.

He is also an award-winning filmmaker. He is the son of the well-known historian, author, and broadcaster William Dalrymple, known for his works such as City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi (1993) and In Xanadu: A Quest (1989).  His writings have been acknowledged by well-regarded organizations, including The New York Times and The Spectator, among others.

The report further mentioned that Aden, a city in present-day Yemen, and Kuwait, a country in the Middle East, were under the administrative control of British India. The report also shed light on the political and administrative reach of British India, which transcended its borders and extended to the Arabian Peninsula as well. 

Were Indian Passports Relevant in Dubai?

Freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi also visited Aden, which was administered from the Bombay Province, back in 1931, years before India broke its chains and gained freedom from British rule. To his surprise, Gandhi came across many Arabs who identified as Indian nationalists during his visit.

Another shocking detail revealed by Dalrymple’s report was the value of Indian passports during the early 20th century. As per the BBC report, Indian passports were also issued in faraway regions, including the previously mentioned Aden, which served as the westernmost port of British India. 

Dalrymple dropped some more details in an X post on October 4, 2025, about a Jewish Yemeni woman who travelled to Jerusalem on an Indian passport. “Because by virtue of being in South Yemen, she was legally an Indian,” wrote Dalrymple.

The BBC report further stated that not many were unaware of the true reach of British India, as access to maps of the region was not a common knowledge among the public. The secret was also kept to avoid any tensions with the Ottoman Empire or Saudi Arabia. However, the winds of change started blowing in the 1920s, with calls for freedom echoing throughout India. 

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For almost 100 years, Aden was part of British-administered India, but in 1937, it was separated from the subcontinent’s rule and declared a Crown Colony of the United Kingdom. Aden’s separation was considered one of the starting points that eventually led to the separation of Dubai and British India. Even at that point in time, major parts of the Gulf were still under British India. 

When Dubai was Separated from India

Later on, discussions mounted over the question of who would hold the reins of the Gulf: India or Pakistan after their independence. In the BBC account, it was mentioned that a British diplomat in Tehran was surprised to see how Indian officials seemed to care little about the Persian Gulf. In fact, they agreed that the Persian Gulf was not that crucial to the Indian government.

Many of the Gulf states, from Dubai to Kuwait, were separated from India on April 1, 1947, just months before India officially gained independence. Under the Indian Independence Act, India and Pakistan were separated into independent dominion states, effective from August 15, 1947. 

Years have passed, and British India’s extension into the Arabian Peninsula remains a lesser-known chapter of British colonialism. It was a chapter in which India, Dubai, and other Gulf regions shared a connection deeper than what we know today. 

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(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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