It's probably the opportune time to write about the Deira Clock Tower (mostly referred to as Clock Tower)
Just about a week back, the famous Clock Tower got all its 4 clocks replaced with a new set of brand new Omega clocks. The clock tower is probably one of the most famous landmarks in the city. Its an iconic structure situated at the northern end of the Al Maktoum bridge towards Deira.
Here is a short note on the origins of the monument from Dubai As It Used To Be
"Sheikh Ahmed of Qatar was Sheikh Rashid's Son-in-Law. In the early 1960s Sheikh Ahmed gave Sheikh Rashid a Clock as a Gift. It was a very large Clock. Sheikh Rashid did not know what to do with such a large Clock! My predecessor Mr Bulard had just completed building Zabeel Palace for Sheikh Rashid so he made a sketch of his idea for a Clock Tower. Mr Bulard gave the sketch to his Engineer to make the structural calculations and produce a design. The shape and design of the Clock Tower was from Mr Bulard's own ideas and did not represent an Oil Drilling Bit or any other object. In the early 1960s the area where the Clock Tower is located today had become an important road intersection so Mr Bulard suggested this as a suitable location for the Clock Tower. He also suggested the Clock Tower be placed on a traffic roundabout to protect the Tower. This was one of the first roundabouts in Dubai. "
Since its construction in the early sixties, the structure has gone through various changes including a major refurbishment in 1972. But this is probably the most important as this is the first time that all four clocks have been replaced at the same time.
The new Omega clocks are fitted with the latest GPS technology to ensure the highest degree of accuracy.
