The scene at the dhow wharfs of Dubai Creek has changed little in the decades that have seen Dubai transformed from a small trading post and fishing port into a glittering, ultra-modern city.

Lining the banks of the creek are hundreds of wooden cargo dhows, anachronisms from a time dating back long before the advent of modern commercial shipping.

Dhows once formed the backbone of maritime trade in the Middle East and the Indian Ocean, carrying the popular trade goods of the time — gold, spices, frankincense and myrrh.

Despite