Inside Dubai

Dubai is one of the recent worlds great discoveries. From a desert inhabited by Bedouin tribesmen and used as a trading post for business with Asia, Dubai is today one of the world’s most exciting and commercially vibrant locations. Under the stewardship of the Maktoum family and specifically its current ruler His Excellency Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid al Maktoum, Dubai has transformed itself and now ranks in the worlds top 20 of places to live and do business. Dubai is one of the seven Emirates. Although it is the best known of the Emirates , Abu Dhabi is the capital.

The other five Emirates in the Confederation are Ras al Khaimah, Sharjah, Fujerah , Umm al Qaiwain and Ajman. The Confederation was formed on December 2nd 1971 p class=”MsoNormal”> The official language of the UAE is Arabic but English, Urdu, Hindi, Talagog and Farsi are widely spoken. English is the business language and the most spoken after Arabic.

The currency is the Dirham and there are about 4.6 to the Euro, 6.7 to Sterling, 3.67 to the US$ ( pegged ) and 6.8 to the Aussie dollar.

The official religion of the UAE is Islam but other religions are accepted and there is even a Hindu Temple in Dubai.

The population of the UAE has almost doubled in the past 8 years – from 2.6 to 4.8 million. About 1.5 million of these live in Dubai. This is expected to double again over the next 15 years.

The land mass of the UAE is 83,600 sq kms ( Dubai is about a third of this ) – which includes nearly 200 islands.

The country is surrounded by the Arabian Gulf to the North and the Gulf of Oman to the East. For those of you a little more advanced in matters of geography the UAE is on the 22 to 26 degrees Latitude ( North) Line and 51 to 56 degrees on the Longitude ( East ).

And for the economists amongst you the Country’s GDP is Dirham 255 billion ( use your ‘calculator’ to work it out – you need to do SOME work !! ) and per capita income is currently Aed 80,000.

The weather of 8 months of the year is excellent. The other four months ( June to September inclusive ) start to get very humid – particularly August. Best hotel package deals are usually in these months. Best to avoid desert resorts during these times.

Other dates to be aware of:

a) Ramadan – for 28 days during September ( it works on a lunar cycle and is accordingly 15 days earlier each year ) and is a Holy Month when adult Muslims fast during the daylight hours. Many restaurants and coffee shops are closed during these hours ( it is possible to get food and drink in the major hotels throughout the day ) and no alcohol is sold before 7 pm in the evening. It is a time where tourists and ex patriots need to be sensitive to the religious and fasting commitments of the local population. This sensitivity extends as to what clothes one wears in public ( no ‘slappers’ please ) and to eating/drinking in front of locals during their fasting period. ‘Iftar is an expression that you will hear during this time of year and means ‘breaking of the fast’ – usually around 6.30 in the evening.

b) Christmas and the New Year – very expensive times to be in Dubai. Restaurants and hotels ‘load’ the prices. So if it can be avoided then do. Although the weather is excellent. And yes there IS a festive feeling in the city.

c) Dubai Shopping Festival - mid January for three weeks. Real bargains in all shops. The government have ‘price police’ to ensure no ‘western retailer’ habits. People travel from all over the world for this event. Hotel’s tend to be full, so book early.

d) Dubai Rugby 7’s – end of November. Super event and great time to be in Dubai

e) Dubai World Cup ( horseracing ) – mid March. Richest horse race in the world takes place. Some real ‘talent’ each night. Truly brilliant fun

f) Dubai Desert Classic ( golf ) – mid November. The world’s best , all attend.

g) A1 Grand Prix – February. Dubai’s answer to the Formula 1. And is better.

h) The Annual Boat Show – late November. All the rich and famous. So come on get yourself a wife/husband or just ( new ) partner !!!!

i) Other things to do – desert safari, quad biking, water skiing, surfing, snow sking ( yes this is true ) , sailing, water park fun days, romantic dinner cruises on the Creek, go karting , afternoon tea at the Burj al Arab and the largest choice of shopping orgasms in the world. Shopping places to visit include Karama, Gold Souk ( for those looking for really good value jewellery ), City Centre, Mall of the Emirates and some of the new outlets at Festival City

j) The Future – Dubai will add the tallest building in the world, the world’s biggest hospital, the largest shopping centre, the world’s largest entertainment park, the largest airport ( larger than O Hare and Heathrow combined )

Tips when visiting to Dubai:

a) well let me start by saying ‘don’t be too generous’. Tipping is not normal in Dubai. It is not expected. It’s the tourists that spoil it for us who have to live here. Having said that the wages are low and some level of tipping ( for good service ) is appropriate.

b) The sun can be very hot. So make sure to bring plenty of sun creams. They are cheaper to buy here

c) Taxi’s are very cheap and in abundance. So don’t hire a car unless you want to do lots of travelling. If you do hire a car, under NO circumstances drink and drive. I don’t want to have to visit anybody in prison. Also driving on the roads here is like Russian Roulette