This is how much Dubai has changed in 30 years

The before-and-after around Dubai Creek is particularly stunning…

Dubai has developed, and fast, and a new timelapse video released by Google shows it all happening in just a few seconds.

Just 13 years ago Dubai Marina didn’t even exist; construction on the Burj Khalifa only started in 2004 and in 1990 the land around Emirates Golf Club looked like this:

So yes, we all know how much the city has changed over the past few decades, but this amazing Google Earth timelapse that’s just been released really hits that home:

Even cooler than this YouTube video is the zoomable version on Google – you can play around with that here.

*READ MORE: 10 amazing historical photos of the UAE*

If you go to Google’s zoomable version of the timelapse you can search for particular areas – for instance, here’s the area between Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Jumeirah in 1986 – you can see how Jebel Ali Port was already developed:

And here it is in 2016, with new road networks and entirely new suburbs (Dubai Marina looks tiny here):

Here’s Deira, Mirdif, Al Jadaf and the Creek in 1986:

And in 2016 (you can see how the Creek extended) and how suburbs like Downtown and Business Bay have just appeared:

Here’s the area around Dubai South in 1986:

And in 2016 (and this is one we imagine will look very different in another decade):

*ALSO READ: Sheikh Mohammed now has a major road named after him*
*PLUS: All you need to know about the Dubai Canal*

Happy 45th year UAE!

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