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About Dubai
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Dubai is the leading centre for business and tourism in the Middle East. A city of some 900,000 inhabitants, it is the second largest of the seven emirates which make up the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi, which is the capital city, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah are the other six emirates in the federation.Dubai offers the visitor a fascinating kaleidoscope of contrasts ? a distinctive blend of modern city and timeless desert, east and west, old and new. An exotic destination with a cosmopolitan lifestyle, Dubai combines the comfort and convenience of the Western World with the unique charm and hospitality of Arabia.
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| CULTURE:
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Dubai?s culture is firmly rooted in the Islamic trad-itions of Arabia. Courtesy and hospitality are among the most highly prized of virtues. And you are sure to be charmed by the genuine warmth and friendless that greets the visitors.
Dubai society is marked by a high degree of tolerance for different lifestyles. Foreigners are free to practice their own religion, alcohol is served in hotels and provided reasonable discretion is shown, the dress code is liberal. Women face no discrimination and may drive and move around unescorted.Despite rapid economic development in recent years, Dubai remains close to its heritage. Local citizens dress in traditional robes and head dresses. Arab culture and folklore find expression in poetry, dancing, songs and traditional art. Weddings and other celebrations are colourful occasions of feasting and music. And traditional sports such as falconry, camel racing and dhow racing at sea, continue to thrive.
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| SIGHTSEEING, TOURS AND SAFARIS:
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Expect for a brief period during summer, Dubai?s temperature and humidity are comfortable, and the city and surrounding areas offer a wealth of interest for sightseers and photographers.
An ideal starting point is Dubai?s picturesque Creek, a natural inlet from the Gulf which bisects the city into Deira and Bur Dubai. From the Creek, traditional wooden dhows set out for the ports of India, the Gulf and East Africa, just as they have for generations. On its banks, the bustle of loading and unloading makes for a fascinating sight. The windtowers of the Bastakiya district, the narrow alleys of the souks, the restored house of Sheikh Sayeed in Shindagha, the Al Ahmadiyah School ? Dubai?s first educational institutions, the Heritage House ? and the ancient Al Fahidi Fort, now home to the recently refurbished Dubai Museum, all offer a captivating taste of the city?s past.
A wide range of tours and excursions are available. Just ask your hotel or tours operator. Among the most popular are safaris into the desert by four-wheel drive, combining the excitement of dune driving with a glimpse of Bedouin life, a camel farm visit and culminating, perhaps, in a moonlit Arabian barbecue.
Among the many other interesting experiences on offer are dhow cruises and helicopter tours. Dubai is also the perfect base for visiting neighboring emirates.
Taxis and car hire services are plentiful. And you can walk anywhere, confident of your personal safety in this clean, virtually crime-free city.
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| BEACHES:
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Dubai's main beaches run along Jumeira Road. In truth, it is one long beach divided up by hotels and private clubs, interspaced by a few public access beaches.
The Jumeira beaches have soft white sand that slip into the shallow warm turquoise waters of the Arabian Gulf. Hotel beaches are very well maintained with luxury facilities. This usually means lawns and swimming pools with beachside food and beverage service.
The public has access to use private or hotel beach clubs with daily rates that vary from $10 to $50.
There is also a public beach at Al Mamzar Park on the Deira side of the Creek. The public facilities include playgrounds, barbecue sites, food kiosks, and picnic areas for families.
January temperatures are pleasant so the beaches are full of Europeans. Summer temperatures can reach 45-50 degrees centigrade with equally high humidity.
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| DESERT:
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Dubai may be an ultra-modern city in the 21st Century but its heart and soul is rooted in the sand dunes of the Arabian Peninsula.
Desert activities attract visitors and residents alike. One can experience midnight at an oasis under the stars in a bedouin camp with camels tethered nearby. Or enjoy the thrill of 4 or 3-wheeling through the endless dunes. Falconry remains a popular sport throughout the Middle East.
Visitors will find information about various activities and excursions available at most hotels.
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| HOTELS:
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Dubai is exceptionally well endowed with top class hotel accommodation. Dubai is home to over 250 hotels which include some of the world's most luxurious establishments. They are designed to accommodate business travelers as well as tourists. The hotels also enrich the local social life as they include a wide range of restaurants, bars, shops, and live entertainment.
The Burj Al Arab (right) is the world's tallest hotel. The Jumeirah Beach Hotel(below) is another of the many famous hotels that line the long stretch of hotels on Jumeira Beach.
The view from the Sheraton Jumeirah Beach (right) is indicative of the scenery that can be enjoyed without ever leaving one's room.
Crowne Plaza, Dusit, Fairmont, Hilton, Hyatt, Inter-Continental, Le Meridien, Lotus, Marriott, Ramada, Rennaissance , Ritz-Carlton, Rotana, Sheraton and Sofitel all have deluxe properties here,while a number of independents, including the Burj Al Arab, Dubai Marine , Emirates Towers , Jabel Ali Hotel & Golf Resort, Jumeirah Beach Club, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Metropolitan, Oasis Beach, Royal Mirage Jumeirah Beach, World Trade Centre Hotel and Al Maha Resort offer equally luxurious accommodation.
All Dubai?s hotels are designed to cater to the needs of holiday-makers and business visitors equally. High standards are expected, and maintained. Recreational and leisure facilities are top class. Likewise, business, communication and conference facilities are on a par with the best in the world.
Dubai?s hotels play a major role in the social life of local residents as well as visitors. They are therefore exceptionally well endowed with a wide range of imaginative restaurants, bar and other outlets, many of them featuring live entertainment from east and west.
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| NIGHT LIFE:
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Dubai entertainment includes cinemas, concerts, dhow cruises, discotheques as well as live entertainment that includes Middle Eastern as well as Western choices.
There is a wide selection of bars and pubs to be found in the major hotels. Frequently several different kinds of music will be provided during the course of an evening. Below is Moondance, an international band that has been making music in the Sirroco Club for the last several years.
By night, Dubai has something for everyone. Bars and pubs can be found in all top hotels, most of them featuring live music. There are a choice of discotheques and Arabic nightclubs. And Dubai is on the regular circuit for many international stars from the pop scene, opera, Asian music and even the London theatre.
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| RESTAURANTS:
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Dubai?s many fine hotel restaurants offer a microcosm of the world?s cuisine. The choice is limitless ? Gulf and middle Eastern, Indian, Filipino, Thai, Japanese, French, Italian, Mexican and much more.
Outside the hotels, Dubai offers the visitors a gastronomic adventure, with hundreds of small eating places scattered throughout the city. Fast food ranges from several big international chains to "shavarma" outlets, selling grilled shavings of lamb or chicken, mixed with salad and rolled inside a pocket of Arabic bread.
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| SPORTS AND LEISURE:
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Dubai is the undisputed? sports capital of the Middle East?, hosting world class international events that attract some of the biggest names in their respective sports, whether in golf, tennis, horse racing, rallying powerboating, rugby, or sailing.
Apart from spectator sports, visitors to Dubai van actively participate in a wide variety of land and watersports that include golf, bowling, ice-skating, archery, horse riding, scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing, water-skiing, jet-skiing, deep sea fishing and windsurfing. Facilities are excellent, the weather is fine almost all year round and equipment can be hired at reasonable rates.
But Dubai also offers the adventurous sports fanatic some new experiences too. For example, there are local tour operators offering sand skiing and camel riding for visitors.In addition, all major hotels boast well equipped sports clubs, with flood-lit tennis courts, squash and badminton, swimming pools and fully equipped health and fitness centres as part of their accommodation package.
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| GOLF:
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Dubai is the home to two outstanding golf courses. Both are famous for the innovative design of their club houses and lush fairways. The Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club sits on the banks of Dubai Creek with its distinctive club house build to represent the dhows that sail the Creek.
The Emirates Golf Club, located south of the city, was the first grass course in the Middle East. It is the annual home of the European PGA Desert Classic. This event attracts all of the major PGA players, even Golf's number one player, Tiger Woods.
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| WATERSPORTS:
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From the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club to ski boats at Jumeira Beach, Dubai is ready for the water enthusiast of every taste and pocketbook.
Activities provided at hotels along Jumeria Beach include jet-skiing, sailing, windsurfing, paragliding and water skiing. Diving execursions that can also be arranged.
For the rest of us, there remains swimming in the warm waters, rides along Dubai Creek in local dhows and abras, and walks along the beaches.
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| PARKS:
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Dubai offers a pleasant variety of parks and family attractions. The Wild Wadi (top right) is a water amusement park greatly enjoyed by all family members.
Along with the theme parks, there are playgrounds, landscaped gardens and the Dubai Zoo. Families have picnics along the various waterway parks that include various fun activities for one and all. Creekside Park (middle) is a popular destination that includes rides in the water taxis that provide transportation across the Creek all day long.
Many people head east to the Hajar Mountains for a day outing to the scenic Hatta Oasis or Heritage village.
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| SHOPPING:
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One of the Dubai?s greatest attractions for visitors is its superb shopping. Being an open port with low import duties and no taxation, the city offers the bargain hunter unbeatable value. Most major brand name products are readily available, and are often less expensive in Dubai than their country of origin.
Modern shopping malls are conveniently located throughout the city, their marble walls and efficient air conditioning providing a cool welcome to customers. Whether you are looking for French fashion, Japanese electronics or Italian accessories and footwear, Dubai?s malls have it all.
Souk shopping can be entertainment as well as profitable, and bargaining is expected. The sheer variety of goods available in the winding alleys is bewilderings ? from gold and the latest in electronics, cameras and wrist watches to spices, silks , household appliances and sports goods.
Dubai?s major shopping areas include Al Rigga Road, Karama, Dhiyafa Road and Bani Yas Square, not forgetting the Dubai Duty Free complex at the airport.
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| CARPETS:
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Dubai is just across the Gulf from Iran, so the supply of Persian carpets is considered one of the best outside of Iran. Prices are also good if you know a bit about carpets and bargaining. If you don't, this is a good opportunity to take the time to learn about designs, quality, origins, and of course prices.
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| More from Dubai . . .
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Dubai is famous for its many shopping malls. Here you see Deira City Centre one of the most popular malls in the city. The Duabi Shopping Festival, scheduled every year in March, brings over two million visitors into the area for the bargins to be had everywhere.
The Dubai Museum is located in Bur Dubai, across the Creek from Deira. The Museum, originally the Al Fahdi Fort, now boasts an historical dhow at the entrance.
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