Before Dubai’s Al Quoz was trendy: Backstory of The Courtyard’s rise from a flooded plot
Long before Al Quoz became Dubai’s creative district, a waterlogged plot of land and a bold vision laid the foundations for The Courtyard, now one of the city’s most distinctive cultural spaces
28 March, 2026
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Today, The Courtyard in Al Quoz stands as one of Dubai’s most distinctive creative sanctuaries: a hub for artists, designers and cultural events in a district that has become synonymous with the city’s vibrant creative economy.
But long before the galleries, studios and cultural momentum, the area was a sparse industrial landscape, and the site itself was once a waterlogged “island” in the desert.
In Courtyard, a new book by renowned architect, artist and urban planner Dariush Zandi (pictured above), the story of how this space came to life in the 1990s is told through personal reflections and archival imagery.
Published by Motivate Media Group, the book traces the origins of The Courtyard, a project shaped by instinct, resilience and a deep connection to place.
Below, Gulf Business republishes the opening chapter of the book with permission from Dariush Zandi. The book is available to order on BooksArabia.com.
This is his story of how popular The Courtyard came into existence.
Chapter 1: The Early Days (1992–1998)
Helicopter shots 1988
In 1988, while working as an urban designer in Dubai, I captured these six photographs from a helicopter — my first encounter with the precious space that would become The Courtyard.
Tasked with photographing the land for the authorities, I took as many shots as possible using multiple cameras, driven by an urge to document it all.
Years later, when studying the land allocated to me in Al Quoz, I recognised it from these archived photographs, a whole series capturing this precious plot. Without digital technology at that time, the only way to view the land as a whole was to physically match the printed images, a challenging task due to the helicopter’s shifting perspective.
These six frames span along the Dubai–Abu Dhabi Road (now Sheikh Zayed Road), reaching what is now Al Manara. They reveal the impermeable, ocean-like nature of the land.
The only structures to exist at that time were a handful of buildings such as Juma Al Majid Cement and Block Factory, National Cement and Marble Factory (now Al Serkal Avenue).
The story of an island 1992
Dubai was a very different city then.
The multi-lane Sheikh Zayed Road was in its infancy — a narrow dual carriageway of asphalt winding through the sand, navigating a small cluster of early high-rises.
It was in 1992, after the allocation of the land, that I made my first visit to what would later become The Courtyard. Once all the necessary approvals were completed, a surveyor from the Municipality accompanied me to demarcate the plot.
It had rained heavily the day before, and as we drove to Al Quoz, we found the site completely inaccessible by car. Struggling to pinpoint the exact location, I asked the surveyor to show me where it was. He pointed towards a raised patch of sand above the water and said, “There it is — that island.”
I imagined visitors arriving by all sorts of means — perhaps paddling, or even taking a boat. But knowing the land, I quickly realised this was a sabkha — impermeable ground.
The next day, we returned in my four-wheel drive. With water no deeper than knee-high, we drove straight to the “island”. When I asked if all of it had been allocated to me, the surveyor smiled and said, “No, you are a small entity on this island.”
An overwhelming sense of gratitude filled my heart.
Decades later, I see this island as the manifestation of my earliest instinct — a sanctuary for art, culture and nature, a peaceful love letter to creativity, shared with kindred spirits from across the world. I had hoped it could be a home for all of us, and in many ways, it became exactly that.
That moment marked an instinctive feeling — a true blessing — something I will never forget. I will cherish that memory forever.
Courtyard under construction 1996
Pre-inauguration, March 1998
Inauguration night — 21 March 1998
Bruce Oldfield fashion show — 21 March 1998
The Courtyard, with its grand entry, was destined to be an innovative cultural hotspot.
A welcoming host to a line-up of creative events, ignited by a fashion show by Bruce Oldfield and his Spring 1998 collection. This was his first-ever appearance in Dubai, and his fashion show lit up the Courtyard.
The walkways were alive with models and creative possibility, animating the space, a pivotal moment of performance that truly took on a life of its own.
The fashion show was followed by a charity gala dinner in aid of Al Mosanada Cancer support group, hosted in support of The Creative Quarter.
This opening set the tone for the Courtyard and for all the adventures to come.
Inaugural exhibition
The inaugural European Fine Art Exhibition showcased eighty paintings and thirty sculptures by world-renowned artists.
The curated selection of outstanding works by European masters, including Picasso, Miró and Magritte, offered the public a rare opportunity to see these masterpieces in the UAE.
The Courtyard Gallery organised the exhibition in association with the Carlton Gallery, one of France’s known art spaces.
About the Book
Courtyard is a visual and narrative tribute to one of Dubai’s earliest creative sanctuaries. Conceived by architect and artist Dariush Zandi, The Courtyard emerged as a green refuge for ideas – long before Al Quoz became the city’s creative heart. Shaped by Zandi’s deep affection for the UAE and his tireless exploration of its urban and natural environments, the space was built using reclaimed and locally sourced materials: discarded timber hulls from Jaddaf’s shipbuilding district, bricks from a Sharjah bakery, mashrabiya screens salvaged from the Zabeel neighbourhood, and wrought-iron railings from old houses in Deira.
Rooted in architectural memory and respect for craft, The Courtyard became a gathering place for artists, designers, performers and thinkers. Through photographs, stories and reflections, this book captures the spirit of a community shaped by people and ideas, offering a meditation on how culture takes root – and endures – in a city defined by constant transformation.
About the Author:
Dariush Zandi is an artist, architect, town planner, photographer and author. Born in Tehran and educated in the United States, he arrived in Dubai from New York in 1978 and has contributed to the city’s architectural and cultural evolution for decades.
Before moving to Dubai, Zandi worked as an architect and designer in New York with Total Design in the 1970s, later establishing its Dubai chapter. After studying photography and filmmaking in New York City and California, he went on to teach at various institutions in Dubai for over a decade.
Through his work with Dubai Municipality and private practice, Zandi played a formative role in shaping Dubai’s early urban landscape. His vision found lasting expression in The Courtyard, a pioneering cultural space in Al Quoz that brought together architecture, art and community. A committed educator and photographer, Zandi has authored and contributed to numerous books on culture, history and architecture. He lives in Dubai with his wife, artist Shaqayeq Arabi.
