Majlis Ghorfat Um-Al-Sheef

Lonely Planet review

It is unusual to find a traditional building still standing so far from the Creek, but this one, south of Jumeirah Beach Park, has been well restored and is worth a visit. The two-storey structure was built in 1955 and was attended in the evenings by Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed al-Maktoum. Here he would listen to his people's complaints, grievances and ideas.

The majlis also provided a cool retreat from the heat of the day and is made of gypsum and coral rock, traditional building materials of the Gulf, and the roof is made of palm fronds (areesh) . The majlis is decorated with cushions, rugs, a coffeepot, pottery and food platters, and is pretty close to the way it would have looked in Sheikh Rashid's day.