by Andre Sanchez

Dubai, one of the United Arab Emirates, is one of the most modern cities in the world, and the fastest growing.  It is expanding, not only outwards into the desert, but also into the Arabian Gulf with massive ambitious reclamation projects.  There are certain aspects of Dubai that all travelers should be aware of, and other than the obvious landmarks, certain parts of Dubai that they should not miss.

The currency in Dubai is the U.A.E. dirham, or Dh for short, with around 3.6 – 3.7 Dh per American dollar, though this varies, of course, with the strength or weakness of the respective currencies. You can exchange currencies in lots of places in Dubai including hotels and some shopping malls.

The official language is, of course, Arabic, but English is spoken more widely than Arabic due to the population of Dubai being only around a third native Emiratis or Arabs from neighboring countries.  French is also common and German is also spoken in hotels. The majority of the 70% non-Arab population is from Asian countries such as Pakistan, India and the Philippines.  Communications are advanced, and the vast majority of hotels have internet facilities.  The Dubai government recently opened an ‘Internet City’ close to Jumeirah beach, not far from the Dubai Hard Rock Café.  Yes, they do have one of those!

Most natives to Dubai drink bottled water, not for health reasons, but because the water supply is from desalination plants and is not as pleasant to drink as the normal tap water you may be used to.  Dubai is hot!  And I mean hot!  Keep your head covered and keep up a high fluid intake.  Use sunblockers wherever possible and the best tip you can be given is when in Dubai, do what the Dubaians do!

Dubai is a fairly safe place as big cities go, and mugging is practically unknown.  Theft is not a problem as elsewhere though you should always take basic security precautions, and keep passports and money secure.  Don’t pack all your money and credit cards in the one place, more in case you lose anything that in case they get stolen.

The rest depends on your reason for visiting Dubai.  People visit Dubai for lots of different reasons, from work to pleasure.  If you want shopping, Dubai has some of the biggest shopping malls in the world, and when completed, the Dubai Mall will be the biggest shopping mall on the planet.  Dubai is rich in shops and markets, or souks, of all kinds ranging from the gold souk to the most elegant boutiques to grace any city.  If you want to buy it, you should be able to get it in Dubai.

If it’s entertainment you want, Dubai has everything you could want, though there are limitations given its Muslim background.  There are cinemas, cruses, discos and shows with both a western and an eastern flavor.  You will not find gambling, since it is prohibited, as are the seedier types of entertainment commonly found in western cities.

Dubai is famous for its horse racing.  The Dubai World Cup at the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse is the world’s richest horse race, and here you will see some of the best bred Arabian thoroughbreds the world has ever seen.  Only ten minutes from the city center, you can have a breakfast tour round the racecourse, taking in the jockey’s rooms, checking out the horses and stables and everything else that goes into the running of a large racecourse.

If it’s golf you want, the Emirates Golf Club is a grass course, the first in the Middle East, and there is also the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club.  Both are championship standard and open to visitors.  The Emirates is home to the European PGA Desert Classic, though it is not a true desert course.

If you like food, most restaurants offer Lebanese and Turkish food, and there are also a number of Pakistani and Indian restaurants to complement the wide range of western style restaurants and hotels.  There are plenty American burger joints and the hotels provide a wide range of bars with associated music and entertainment. If you prefer to eat on water, you can try one of the many floating restaurants on converted dhows that cruise around the Dubai Creek.

As for hotels, Dubai has the best there is.  The Burj Al Arab is the world’s tallest hotel, and there are whole raft of super-hotel complexes either under construction or in the planning stage.  The new Trump Hotel planned for the man-made island of Palm Jumeirah looks superb, though there is no shortage of five star hotels in Dubai.

There is also a lot of private accommodation being built, though currently the demand exceeds supply.  If you intend purchasing residential property in Dubai for personal use, you will find the market less competitive later in 2007 when it is estimated that the supply of new buildings will finally exceed the number of people wanting it.  However, this may change when mortgages become available.

Dubai City is growing rapidly, and no expense is being spared on providing luxurious accommodation and surroundings.  It is a beautiful city to visit, and everybody should visit at least once.  The best advice to take is to plan your visit before you arrive and make whatever bookings you require in the way of hotels, tours, concerts, etc. well in advance, since many tourist facilities will be impossible to visit unless you do so.