Built
around 1955, the Al Ghuraifa Majlis was a summer retreat
for the late Shaikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the
Ruler of Dubai, where he spent his afternoons when the
temperatures became moderate and the humidity was high.
The Majlis is situated in the Umm Suqaim area which was
once dotted with date palm groves, and fishermen's'
huts.
The Majlis, about
100 square meters in area, is on a large site of 3,300
sqm in the centre of a residential area. In the past, it
was the only building constructed of stones and gypsum
in the midst of a date farm.
Its ground floor
has a large covered area divided by a row of pillars.
Along the north of it is a large storeroom. The first
floor is reached by an open staircase where one enters a
long veranda. Behind this is the summer majlis. A wooden
ladder leads to the roof from the veranda. The entire
structure is simple with shuttered wooden windows on the
first floor, set into deep pillars overlooking the
garden. The windows are in two sections, whereby the top
and lower halves can be opened separately. The niches
above the windows have perforations for ventilation.
Dubai Municipality
has planned the open land as a traditional park to serve
the neighboring residences. The landscaping includes a
boundary wall with gypsum decorative panels. The layout
includes a paved pathway, rows of date palms with a
network of 'falaj', traditional water channels, a pool
and a covered area of palm thatch with a wind-tower of
rustic design, which has a cafe below. There is a guard
room and toilets at the entrance gate. Dubai
Municipality is executing the entire project through its
own work force.