Travel Destination: Dubai
About Dubai
Dubai, also known as the Pearl of the Persian Gulf, is attracting tourists and businesses with its massive development and opportunities for leisure. Although it is the most populous among the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates, it is only second largest in terms of area, next to Abu Dhabi.
The city’s ostentatious display of infrastructure and glitzy lifestyle makes it a favourite hub of the rich, the famous and the wannabes. It is home to many nationalities as well, whether for business or leisure activities. Only about 10% of the population are native Emiratis. The rest are made up mostly of Asian expatriates from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Dubai’s population is about 1.5 million. Only 6% of Dubai’s revenues come from oil. The bigger chunk of its revenue comes from real estate and construction, trade and financial services.
Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed is responsible for the transformation of the city into an ultra cosmopolitan centre and making it one of the most famous destinations for tourists to spend their money on. The concept behind the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) which is held annually in January is based on that. This month-long festival entices over two million visitors to take advantage of the big price cut on various products and impressive shopping offers.
Arabic is Dubai’s official language but English is the lingua franca while Hindi and Urdu are also widely spoken. Since it is a multicultural city, don’t be surprised to meet somebody who speaks Sindhi, Tagalog, Bengali and Malayalam as you go around the state. There are many religious communities here as well. Buddhists, Christians, Hindus and Sikhs are all settled in. To celebrate the diversity, there are two religious festivals held every year, the Ramadan (either September or Oct) and Diwali or the Hindu Festival of Lights (either November or December).
Aside from DSF, visitors can also time their visit with festivals (which are many throughout the year) that include the Dubai Marathon, Dubai Desert Classic (golf tournament), International Jazz Festival and Tennis Championships, Art Fair, Desert Rock, Emirates World Series-Dubai World Cup (the world’s richest horse race where the prize stands at US$6 million), bride show, festival of taste (food festival where top global chefs prepare specialty menu), the Dubai International Film Festival and the National Day Festival.
Dubai is far from being boring with its many attractions waiting to be discovered by both locals and visitors. The city offers a mix of the old and modern structures. The northern and southern part is divided by a creek so get ready to ride the Abras (traditional water taxis) to take you to either side of the creek (Deira on the northern part and Bur Dubai on the southern part).
One of the tallest and most expensive hotels in the world, Burj Al Arab is a popular attraction in Dubai. Its room rates range from $1,000 to $28,000 a night so if you feel like indulging for a night or two, head to this hotel that looks like a sail of a boat. Other skyscrapers are the Emirates Towers, the Burj Dubai and Palm Islands while other modern attractions include the Jumeirah archaeological site, Jumeirah Mosque and Wild Wadi Waterpark which is a theme park based on the legend of Arabian adventurer, Juha and his friend Sinbad.
The historical sites of Dubai provide different experience too even if you’re from a different culture. Include in your itinerary the Al-Ahmadiya School, Burj Nahar, Dhow Wharfage and the Heritage House on the Deira side. On the Bur Dubai side, don’t miss the Bastakiya Quarters, Dubai Museum, Grand Mosque and Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House.