Dubai – The Sky Is the Limit

When the Middle East discovered oil, they promptly started developing two of its most prominent cities – Dubai and Abu Dhabi – into the powerhouses they are today. While Abu Dhabi is the tamer sibling, Dubai turned out to be the more aggressive, hard partying brother. Shiny, fancy cars fill the streets, the nightlife is A+ and the shopping is world-class.

The city is often seen as a brash, cosmopolitan oasis of glitzy glamour in the Middle East but it is not one bit sorry for its high-end culture.

Nakheel Property Developments Near Nakheel Metro Station in Dubai. Photo by Donaldytong / CC BY-SA 3.0

This city thrives on the attention it is getting from all over the world. Everything is over-the-top, gilded and served on a gold platter. The first thing visitors notice is how seemingly materialistic the city is. It treats every tourist like a VIP and this indulgent ego-stroking leads them to spend more in the city’s shopping malls and entertainment centers. Very much a win-win!

Shopping in Dubai

This is a city that has invented the all-out sale. Dubai Shopping is one of the biggest shopping events in the city. Every year thousands of stores put together unbelievable discount sales, which prompt locals and foreigners to buy and swipe away with the credit card. At the buffet of shopping malls and flamboyant independent boutiques, it is easy to forget how much you have spent. “Budget” is the first word Dubai deletes from your vocabulary and “no” comes in a close second.

Dubai mall indoor. Photo by Shahroozporia / CC BY-SA 3.0

Places like the Dubai Mall, with more than 1200 stores, resemble a battlefield where shoppers whose arms are already loaded, plow through to the next row of stores, because hey, everyone needs another pair of shoes, right? There are many other shopping malls and retail centers in Dubai. Next to the Dubai Mall is the Mall of the Emirates and ever popular is the Gold Souk for jewelry and trinkets.

Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo

The most mesmerizing sight in Dubai Mall is the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo. The gargantuan aquarium is home to 33,000 creatures and holds the Guinness World Record for ‘world’s largest acrylic viewing panel’. If watching the toothy sharks behind the glass wall of underneath a glass-bottomed boat isn’t enough thrill for you, you can do a shark dive — with a dive instructor of course.

The Underwater Zoo showcases three eco-zones: rocky shore, rainforest, and living ocean. Witness archerfish catch insects by shooting water, sea dragons, African lungfish that breath air, and many more of the 38 aquatic displays.

A Different Dubai

With all of Dubai’s glitz and glamour hitting you right in the face, it is hard to see beyond the commercial aspect of the city. However, if you put down your shopping bags and look close enough, you will see a city that is a far cry from what the magazines describe. You will discover that Dubai does have history and a rich culture hidden in its metropolitan existence.

Heritage Village, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Photo by Poco a poco / CC BY-SA 3.0

Take a trip to Dubai’s Heritage Village especially during Ramadan. There, you will experience a quieter, more traditional Dubai where the native Emiratis still celebrate with their traditional songs and dances. The people here are still so steeped in their tradition that it is hard to imagine that only minutes away is the flamboyant edifice of teflon-covered fiberglass and steel: Burj al Arab.

Life is easy in the Heritage Village and no credit card is required for admission. You can spend a few hours simply watching the dhows (traditional sailing vessels) on the creek while having a cup of strong Arabic coffee or smoking on a sheesha. Life, on this side of Dubai, is good and cheap.

Whichever Dubai you prefer is up to you. But you might as well try both sides and make your trip twice as memorable.

DUBAI: The Greatest City On Earth

Published to Youtube on May 8, 2013

Dubai is located on the Eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, in the south west corner of the Arabian Gulf. It is extremely well known for its warm hospitality and rich cultural heritage, and the Emirati people are welcoming and generous in their approach to visitors.

With year-round sunshine, intriguing deserts, beautiful beaches, luxurious hotels and shopping malls, fascinating heritage attractions and a thriving business community, Dubai receives millions of leisure and business visitors each year from around the world.

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