 During the 1970s , Dubai continued to grow from revenues generated from oil and trade , even as the city saw an influx of immigrants fleeing the Lebanese civil war . Border disputes between the emirates continued even after the formation of the UAE ; it was only in 1979 that a formal compromise was reached that ended disagreements . The Jebel Ali port was established in 1979 . <unk> ( Jebel Ali Free Zone ) was built around the port in 1985 to provide foreign companies unrestricted import of labor and export capital . Dubai airport and the aviation industry also continued to grow . 
