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Guide to Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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Dubai
The city of Dubai is a dizzying mix of traditional Arabic culture and modern development. Ancient minarets stand beside glistening new skyscrapers, and this contrast is what makes it such a unique place to visit. Flying into Dubai International Airport youll know that youve arrived at one of the premier commercial centres in the world, but strolling the streets youll immediately get the sense that there is much more to Dubai than the dazzle and glamour of the modern high-rises. Dubai is the main city of the Emirate of the same name, and is the fastest growing metropolis in the world.
How To Get There
Dubai International Airport is the busiest airport in the Middle East. Major airlines (plus quite a few smaller ones) arrive here from all over the world, either as a final destination or as a stop-over. Emirates Airline flies to over 45 destinations. The airport has no separate airport departure tax - it's included in the price of your ticket. At the airport youll find everything you need from car rental agencies, taxis and buses. We suggest taking a Transport taxi from the airport to your destination in Dubai. Buses are available but they only go to Deira bus station.
Travelling Around
One tip for getting around Dubai: do not drive! It is a very difficult city to drive through, and its dangerous if youre not familiar with the roads. We say leave it up to the taxi drivers to navigate the streets for you.
Buses run from Dubai to other Emirates and surrounding countries such as Muscat, Oman and Jordan.
When To Go
The ideal times to visit Dubai are autumn, winter and spring (except for the month of Ramadan if youre not Muslim). Summer is when most people are huddled indoors near air-conditioners Its not a pleasant time. In fact, a lot of locals travel away from the city during this season.We recommend spring, as autumn gets busier with people returning to Dubai from holidays.
What To See
Your first stop should be Dubai Museum. It is housed inside the 18th century Al-Fahidi Fort and is said to be the citys oldest building. It houses a collection of exhibits ranging from whole Arabian sailboats to ancient weapons and offers interactive multimedia displays.
Another highlight is the Grand Mosque which has the citys tallest minaret. Dont be deceived by its exterior the mosque is modern. It was built in the 1990s.
There are lots of options for shopping. Try the souks for an authentic Arabian shopping experience. Make a stop over at Bur Dubai Souk to pick up some hand-woven clothing and materials. Deira Gold Souk is another destination that spikes tourists interests, with multitudes of one-of-a-kind jewellery and trinkets. There are also some big shopping malls such as the Wafi City complex.
Dubai Creek is a great place to spend a relaxing day watching the people working in the port. You can hire a personal cruise to take you on a sight-seeing trip. Theres fun for all the family at the Wild Wadi Water Park.
An iconic sight in Dubai is the Burj al Arab luxury hotel which is shaped like a dhow boat sailing in from the Gulf. If your budget doesnt stretch to a stay in this 7-star rated hotel, you can get great views of it from surrounding beaches.
If you fancy getting out of the city, many tour operators offer desert tours and camping trips with traditional food and dancing. Details can be found at Nettoursdubai.com
Hotspot
Ski Dubai
It may seem strange to wrap up in thermals in the middle of a desert state like Dubai, but you can do just that at Ski Dubai. The first ski resort in the Middle East, it offers skiing, snowboarding and tobogganing. Its 22,500 square metre space is covered with real snow all year round and has a series of jumps and ski lifts. Dont worry about packing your winter gear, though clothes and equipment are provided.
Night Life
Alcohol is illegal in some parts of the Middle East, but non-Muslims are permitted to drink in Dubai. The legal drinking age is 21.
There is no specific nightlife area since many of the best bars are in the big tourist hotels throughout the city. Lots are open until 1 or 2 am. A cheaper and livelier night out can be had in the independent bars around town. Thursday and Saturday nights are the biggest for going out, and there are often happy hours. There are free drinks for female guests on Ladies Nights that happen most Tuesdays and Sundays. A beer will normally cost around Dh15-20.
Big DJs are starting to come to Dubai and a Western-style clubbing scene is developing. Clubs close at 3 am and many are over-25 only. The dress code is generally relaxed in bars although clubs forbid jeans, trainers and sandals. For a quieter night head to one of Dubais coffee houses where you can relax with a shisha pipe and watch the world go by.
fast facts
Dubai is the fastest growing city in the world.Dubai first became wealthy after oil was struck there in the 1960sMore than three-quarters of Dubai's population are citizens of other countries. 87% are foreign nationals, 65% of these from Asia.Dubais port Jebel Ali has the largest man-made harbour in the worldThere are over a quarter of a million expat labourers in DubaiThe sail-shaped Burj al Arab is the tallest hotel in the world, and the only one with 7-star status
Quick History
The modern emirate of Dubai was created when the United Arab Emirates were formed in 1971, but there is written evidence of a city there at least 150 years before. Dubai was on the ancient trading route between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley and a small fishing village had sprung up at the mouth of Dubai Creek by the 1800s. Only a hundred years ago, Dubai was little more than wilderness, home to Bedouin tribes. At the time of World War I, Dubai had no running water, no real roads and no transport except camel.
The citys wealth started 1960s. While Dubai was coming out of British colonial rule in 1966, oil was struck. Since then the population has boomed to almost 1.5 million and tourism continues to boost the economy.
Lingo
Arabic is the official language of Dubai, but Tamil, English, Malayalam, Hindi, Bengali, Urdu and Tagalog are widely spoken.
Arabic essentials:
Hello SalamGoodbye - Maa salamaThank you ShokranHow are you? - Kaifa haloka/haloki (female) Please - Min fadhlik
MoneyThe currency in Dubai is the United Arab Emirates Dirham (Dh or AED as it is sometimes called.) Dirham notes come in an array of denominations which range from Dh 5 to Dh1000. In line with Arab tradition, falcons are pictured on the notes and the value of each note is written in Arabic only.One dirham is divided into 100 fils. Coins come in values of Dh1, 50 fils, 25 fils, 10 fils and 5 fils. The exchange is around 7 Dirham to 1GBP British Pound Sterling and 3.7 Dirham to $1 US Dollar. Top tip - you wont get the best rate if you change money at the airport, so go to an exchange centre or bank in the city itself. Up-to-date exchange rates can be found here.
Most hotel and restaurant bills will have 10% service charge added and another 10% for municipality tax. If a price is quoted 'net', this means all taxes and service charges are included. In taxis its normal to round the fare up to the nearest dirham.
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