Welcome to Dubai & Abu Dhabi

Welcome to Dubai & Abu Dhabi

Passengers arriving by air are transfixed by the view: futuristic skyscrapers flanked by a glittering coastline and surrounded by endless desert

Dubai & Abu Dhabi

Embracing the Extraordinary 

It’s little wonder so many entrepreneurial designers and architects love Dubai. Together with a tax-free escape from throttling budgets, stringent building regulations and cookie-cutter specs, this place likes to show off. Tallest building in the world? Tick. Artificial island shaped like a palm? Tick. So-called seven-star hotel? Tick. Largest global shopping mall? Tick… And indoor snow slopes to boot? Tick. While it’s true that recent economic woes have led to some major projects hitting the dust or being scaled down, such as Dubailand, others are being gradually resumed. More superlative-worthy projects to come? Tick. Dubai, a shrinking violet? Never

Feeding Body & Soul

Dubai has a glut of excellent restaurants. Be prepared to be spoiled rotten with cuisine that ranges from East to West, from celebrity-chef-driven to Asian street-style. This is a foodie’s fantasy destination, where atmosphere, surroundings and service are an accepted part of the culinary combo. Continue the self-pampering at one of Dubai’s spas, with treatments and massages designed to soothe away stress and revitalise the senses. Or flop on a white sandy beach, take a dhow dinner cruise or watch the sunset over rippling red-gold sand in the desert, sharing a vision that was once deeply rooted in Dubai’s Bedouin society

Let’s Shop!  

Before the 1970s, the only time you could shift your credit card into overdrive in Dubai was at the Gold Souq. Serious fashion choice required jetting off to London or New York. Today the city vies with both metropolises as a shopping destination, as well as providing much more than a mere retail experience. While temperatures spiral outside, the malls morph into places to shop, play, eat, drink (coffee) and socialise. If you want a glimpse of a more traditional culture, there are still souqs, particularly in Deira and Bur Dubai

Beyond the City  

Travel beyond Dubai to experience another world altogether as a skyscraper skyline is replaced by a more traditional desertscape. Abu Dhabi is a fascinating and easily accessible destination to the south. This is the emirate that continues to surprise, quietly vying with Dubai with its considerable investment in culture, innovation and architecture. It is also home to the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan Mosque, a magnificent must-see sight.

Dubai & Abu Dhabi’s Top 10 

Dubai Museum (p65) 

1 Appropriately housed in one of the city’s oldest buildings, this museum provides a well-laid-out and comprehensive history of Dubai. Learn exactly how and why, in just a third of a century, this extraordinary destination has risen from being a simple desert settlement to one of the most progressive and modern cities in the Middle East. Many exhibits take the form of lifelike dioramas, while a separate archaeological exhibition covers the ancient history of the region, with a display of exhibits discovered in several excavated tombs.

Dubai Souqs (p52)  

2 Noisy, chaotic and colourful, Dubai’s souqs are an enticing reminder that you are, indeed, in a foreign country – something you might forget when you’re poolside at your five-star hotel. The small Spice Souq is a heady introduction to Middle Eastern exotic herbs and spices, while Bur Dubai’s Textile Souq (p66) is another assault on the senses with its vividly patterned fabrics. Don’t miss nearby Hindi Lane (p65), a tiny alleyway flanked by stalls selling brilliantly coloured religious decorations, or the Deira Gold Souq, which has a dazzling display of jewellery at remarkably low prices. Deira Gold Souq

Bastakia Quarter (p65) 

3 Wandering around the maze of narrow lanes in the Bastakia Quarter provides a tangible sense of historic Arabian architecture and culture. The streets are flanked by lowlying traditional buildings, complete with wind towers, arabesque windows and decorative gypsum screens. Punctuated by the occasional splash of dazzling bougainvillea, this evocative area is home to a couple of the city’s most characterful guesthouses, as well as cafes, galleries and museums. If you want to learn more about local history, join one of the informative organised walking tours.
Dubai Creek (p68)  
4 Dubai’s otherworldly megaprojects got you craving a dose of reality? Walk alongside the Creek and it’s easy to imagine life in Dubai half a century ago. The wooden dhows, bustling souqs, stately wind towers and graceful mosques have barely changed over the decades. Wander the streets surrounding the Creek in Bur Dubai and Deira to experience a vibrant multicultural region that has become home to hundreds of thousands of people from across the globe. The most evocative route to cross the Creek is by hopping on one of the traditional abras (water taxis)
Burj al-Arab (p94)  
5 This landmark hotel, with its dramatic design that mimics the sail of a ship, floats on its own man-made island and has become the iconic symbol of Dubai’s boom years. If you’re not in the ultra-moneyed league that can afford to stay here, you can still indulge in a little make-believe by opting for one of the cocktail or afternoon-tea packages, or by splashing out on a romantic dinner in the underwater restaurant. The interior is all about impact, drama and unadulterated bling, with dancing fountains, gold fittings, giant aquariums and private whirlpool baths your butler can fill with champagne (or caviar) – if you so wish

Art Galleries (p80)  

6  Dubai and Abu Dhabi are rapidly evolving as exciting centres for art in the Middle East. In Dubai, the annual Art Dubai art fair has been instrumental in reviving the city’s art culture. Ranging from the dusty industrial surroundings of Al-Quoz to the chic sophistication of the city’s financial centre and the bohochic Bastakia Quarter, the contemporary art scene here is buzzing. It’s a similar picture in Abu Dhabi with its dedicated cultural ‘island’, Saadiyat, which includes branches of leading international art museums the Louvre and the Guggenheim. Shishas by artist Mounir Fatm i at Art Dubai 2012 (p20)

Nightlife (p31) 

7 Dubai is home to some of the most glamorous, see-and-be-seen nightclubs in the world. Some of the best are in beachside Jumeirah, where you can dance by the sea under the stars, while several of the city’s most sophisticated bars top soaring buildings, offering dizzy skyscape views to go with those headspinning cocktails. If you prefer your ale on tap accompanied by big-screen sports or karaoke, there are plenty of Brit-geared pubs, while live-music lovers may get lucky if their trip coincides with a star billing on the concert circuit in either Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Budd ha Bar (p111)

 Shopping Malls (p37)
8 The first rule is to realise that, as far as shopping malls are concerned, there are no rules in Dubai. Just arrive without preconceived ideas and be prepared for sights and experiences that go way beyond mere retail therapy. In Dubai, shopping malls represent an integral part of the culture and lifestyle; they are places not just for conspicuous consumption but for extravagant entertainment and world-class dining, Disney-style theme parks and extraordinary architecture. In summer, malls are where everyone retreats to escape the heat, socialise, clinch deals and puff on sheesha pipes. Ski Dubai at Mall of the Emirates (p113)

Desert Escapes (p126)  

9  Staying in Dubai, it can be easy to forget that the region’s most famous topographical feature has nothing to do with architectural wizardry. Even if you didn’t plan on getting sand between your toes, a trip to the desert is highly recommended and there is a wide range of excursions on offer that provides a rare opportunity to experience everything from sandboarding to sleeping under the stars. Alternatively, consider staying at one of the deserts resorts or renting a 4WD, which allows you to appreciate the magnificent scenery firsthand.

Grand Mosque (p119) 

10  Don’t miss Abu Dhabi’s stunning Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan Mosque, the third-largest mosque in the world. And, yes, it is massive, with more than 80 snowy-white marble domes held aloft by 1000 pillars with space for a soul-stirring 40,000 worshippers in its magnificent courtyard and main prayer hall (which also holds the largest handwoven carpet in the world). Intricate inlaid designs of flowers and leaves in marble and semiprecious stones delicately adorn the pillars; massive chandeliers twinkle with thousands of dazzling crystals; and 24-carat gold adornments shimmer throughout.