Al Seef

Al Seef (Arabic: السيف, romanized: al sayf) or Al Seef Khor is a 1.8 km waterfront promenade along the bank of Dubai Creek in the Al Fahidi neighborhood of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.^[1][2]

Al Seef

A wind tower house in Al Seef (2022)
Location	Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Coordinates	25.265094538009727°N 55.30362401211394°E / 25.265094538009727; 55.30362401211394
Groundbreaking	2012
Opening	2017
Use	Waterfront
Companies
Developer	Meraas

History

The promenade was developed by Dubai-based real estate company Meraas and its construction was completed in 2017.^[3][4]

Reception

Cristiano Luchetti, an associate professor at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah, views the Al Seef development as a historically inaccurate extension of the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood. According to Luchetti, Al Seef layout departs from the original narrow alleyways called Sikka traditionally seen in Bur Dubai. Luchetti describes the development as a form of "historical fraud" based on a critical interpretation of the usage of components taken from the features of the local architecture of Dubai without sufficient interpretative key and the use of artificially aged finishes and materials.^[5]

Marieh Mustafa Sharaf, an urban planner and researcher at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, criticized the project for undermining heritage preservation efforts by presenting an inauthentic version of traditional architecture. She highlighted the use of artificial aging techniques that misrepresent Dubai's historical wind tower houses, while the modern section of the development mimics generic real estate designs, leading to architectural confusion among visitors unfamiliar with authentic Emirati heritage.^[3]

Gallery

Al Seef Khor

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  Al Seef Heritage Market
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  Al Fanar Seafood Restaurant
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  Al Seef Heritage Market
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  Chokhi Dhani Indian Restaurant
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  Al Seef Heritage Market
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  Old Typewriters in Al Seef