The building is part of the old downtown of Dubai, along the Dubai Creek. At 125 metres (410 ft), the National Bank of Dubai is the tallest building in Deira, and was the fifth-tallest building in Dubai when built in 1998.[2] The form of the building was inspired by the curved shape of the hulls of the traditional dhows[1] that docked in the Dubai Creek — a concept that also inspired the shape of the Burj Al Arab.