dubai-introducing-dubai.pdf

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I NTRO DUCI N G DU BAI
Reaching for the sky – the city skyline reflects the mix of traditional Arabian and modern architecture (p39)
The world has never seen a larger construction site.
Dubai stretches upwards and outwards – even under-
water – paving the desert, colonising the ocean and
piercing the clouds.
Aboard approaching airliners, passengers wrestle against fastened seatbelts for an aerial view:
traditional wind-towers yield to space-age skyscrapers mushrooming across the desert beside
a coastline dominated by bizarre palm-shaped archipelagos that look like something from
another planet.
For Dubai’s rulers, whose remarkable vision has turned a small town into a major metropolis
within a mere half century, there’s little concern for earthly matters – no elections, no opinion
polls, no accountability – just billions of dollars to spend on making Project Dubai like nowhere
else on earth. It’s a game of
SimCity
that never ends, a hybrid of
1001 Arabian Nights
and
Futurama,
an anything-goes boomtown where even the sky is no longer the limit.
This unflinching ambition and can-do spirit certainly has its disciples. But Dubai’s numer-
ous successes are undermined by protests on building sites, where workers toil in the sun for
Dh25 a day – the cost of a pint of beer. The men putting the roof on the Burj Dubai, the tallest
manmade structure in history, are being trampled by the gold rush.
But Dubai is not all about manmade islands, multimillionaires and mega projects. Its culture is
rooted in Islam and generations of Bedouin heritage, and it’s this juxtaposition of the traditional
past and the hi-tech present that makes it such an intriguing and compelling place to visit.
2
CITY LIFE
Dubai’s success has been shaped by forward-
thinking governments, but the achievements
wouldn’t have been possible without the for-
eign workforce that has helped carry out their
vision. While everyone in Dubai in some way
shares in the city’s accomplishments, expatri-
ate workers – some of whom were born and
raised in the emirate but haven’t qualified for
UAE citizenship – find it hard to escape the
feeling that they’re the ‘hired help’ in this grand experiment. While buying property in Dubai
now allows expats to have an open-ended residency visa, it’s still not citizenship – and effectively
they have no political voice. Then again the disparity of wealth in Dubai is colossal and only a
minority of expats can even dream of owning a property here.
To local Emiratis, who make up around 5% of the city’s population, Dubai’s sudden acquisition
of wealth has been a double-edged
khanjar.
The vast majority have a lot of faith in their leaders
and appreciate the perks they receive: free health care, education, land, zero-interest loans and
marriage funds. However, Emiratis are facing challenges in the employment market. How can
they compete when a foreigner will do the same job for a tenth of the price? Plus the segregated
society means many expat managers don’t even know any Emiratis, let alone employ any.
There is also debate about whether the Emiratis’ heritage and traditions are endangered as the
city becomes increasingly multicultural, or if being a minority helps reinforce Emiratis’ sense of
identity; many display their roots, wearing national dress such as
hijabs
and
abayas
with pride.
Dubai today is friends with the West; for progressive Arabs it’s a shining example of a modern
Arab city. But conservative branches of Islam are less than impressed by its tolerance of alcohol
and pork and failure to curb prostitution. How Dubai manages to balance all these factors is
just as important as keeping up its spectacular growth. Given the track record of Dubai’s leaders
over the past few decades, it would be unwise to bet against them.
‘It’s…an anything-goes
boomtown where even
the sky is no longer the
limit’
Family and friends gather at Creekside Park in the late afternoon (p67)
3
© Lonely Planet Publications
G E T TI N G STAR TE D
Having invested vast amounts of money into the development of its tourism sector, Dubai is
becoming increasingly easy for visitors to negotiate. Crime is rare, almost everyone speaks
English and tourists are unlikely to be hassled or ripped off.
While Dubai is a highly developed destination, it’s important to realise that the United Arab
Emirates is an Islamic country and behaviour that’s tolerated in Western countries – such as
kissing in public, drunkenness or swearing – may cause offence, or worse, get you into trouble
with the law. While it boasts countless settings tailor-made for romance and plenty of good
bars and pubs, Dubai might not be the perfect destination if you’re planning a honeymoon or
a stag weekend.
Glitzy big-name hotels open in the emirate every few months, and such intense competition
in the five-star sector can result in very attractive room rates, especially in summer. Midrange
and budget travellers, however, will struggle to find comfortable accommodation for under
Dh400 per night. It’s always advisable to book beds before you travel, particularly if you are
visiting during a major festival or exhibition.
This may sound obvious, but don’t enter Dubai carrying any illegal substances. Dubai’s
drug laws are extremely strict and even a microscopic speck of a controlled substance could
see you arrested (see
p186
).
GETTING STARTED
WHEN TO GO
WHEN TO GO
The eye-catching room rates advertised
for July and August come with a catch: the
scorching heat (up to 48°C) and high humid-
ity makes being outside for longer than 10
minutes extremely uncomfortable. The best
time to visit Dubai is between November and
April, when the weather is pleasant and there’s
lots going on. The month of Ramadan is a
fascinating time to visit if you’re interested
in Islam, but those planning to indulge them-
selves in Dubai’s restaurants and bars might
find the conservative laws imposed for the
month too restrictive.
end of the previous year. Less energetic
types can enter a 10km run or a 4km ‘fun
run’.
DUBAI SHOPPING FESTIVAL
www.mydsf.com
Reports of Russian millionaires chartering
passenger jets so they can return from the
Dubai Shopping Festival with planeloads
of purchases are probably exaggerated,
but the annual instalment of DSF certainly
attracts millions of tourists each year. Don’t
expect to find stupendous bargains in the
malls; the sale prices are rarely spectacular.
Do expect to find plenty of live music, kids’
events, sporting activities, nightly fireworks
over the Creek, and the hugely popular
Global Village, which runs for three months
from mid-December.
As part of its effort to lure tourists to the city,
the Dubai authorities have encouraged the
development of several major sporting and
cultural events. All of these, with the excep-
tion of Dubai Summer Surprises, take place
between October and March.
FESTIVALS
February
DUBAI INTERNATIONAL JAZZ
FESTIVAL
www.dubaijazzfest.com
Held in the week following the Shopping
Festival, this increasingly popular event
is staged at Dubai Media City over three
nights. While the mainstream is well ca-
tered for, jazz purists may sneer at the
choice of performers, with recent head-
liners including Toto, ELO, Robin Gibb of
the Bee Gees, and Roger Hodgson of
Supertramp.
January
DUBAI MARATHON
www.dubaimarathon.org
Equipped with a prize fund of a million
dollars, the Dubai Marathon attracts the
biggest names in long-distance running.
For the opportunity to compete with them
over 26 miles, you have to register by the
15
DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC
www.dubaidesertclassic.com
Until November 2009, when the biggest
names on the greens will compete for a
US$10-million prize purse at the first Dubai
World Championship, the Dubai Desert Clas-
sic remains the emirate’s leading golf event.
It takes place on the first weekend of Febru-
ary at the immaculate Emirates Golf Club,
and has earned a reputation for delivering
high drama on the last day of competition.
stable owned by Dubai’s royal family, tends
to dominate proceedings on the racetrack.
lonelyplanet.com
June, July & August
DUBAI SUMMER SURPRISES
www.mydsf.com
Perhaps the most surprising thing about
DSS is that it manages to attract any visi-
tors at all. It takes place, after all, at the
sweaty height of the sweltering summer.
But a combination of free kids’ entertain-
ment, sales in shopping malls, and Mod-
hesh, a springy yellow mascot, draws in
plenty of tourists from other Gulf nations.
DUBAI TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
GETTING STARTED
WHEN TO GO
www.dubaitennischampionships.com
Held over two weeks in February and
March, the championships consist of a
Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) event
followed by an Association of Tennis Profes-
sionals (ATP) event. It’s a great opportunity
to see some of the best players in the world
in a relatively small stadium. Ticket prices –
especially for the earlier rounds – offer
great value for money.
October
UAE DESERT CHALLENGE
www.uaedesertchallenge.com
This desert rally, the final race of the FIA
Cross-Country Rally World Cup, starts in Abu
Dhabi and finishes in Dubai. It’s held over
five days, takes in some challenging terrain,
and attracts car, truck and motorbike riders.
March
DUBAI DESERT ROCK
www.desertrockfestival.com
Dubai’s surprisingly large contingent of
Goths can be spotted nervously adjusting
to sunlight in the mosh-pits of this annual
live rock music event. In recent years, head-
liners of the two-day festival have included
Iron Maiden, Robert Plant, Megadeth and
Muse.
DESERT RHYTHM FESTIVAL
www.desertrhythmfestival.com
Following the success of the second instal-
ment of Desert Rhythm in 2007, at which
Kanye West, Mika, Joss Stone and Madness
made their UAE debuts, it seems likely that
this two-day music festival will go from
strength to strength in the coming years.
ART DUBAI
www.artdubai.ae
The arrival of this ambitious international
art fair in 2007 confirmed that art is big
business in the Gulf, despite a lack of major
galleries. The Madinat Jumeirah provides a
suitably glamorous setting for the artists,
dealers and gallery owners to mingle in
and show off their stuff.
November
DUBAI RUGBY SEVENS
www.dubairugby7s.com
Part of the IRB World Sevens Series, the
Dubai Rugby Sevens features 16 inter-
national squads, a huge number of amateur
teams and live entertainment over three
days. While England and Australia receive
plenty of support from the mainly expatri-
ate crowd, the Arabian Gulf team, consist-
ing of players from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar,
Saudi, Oman and the UAE, get the biggest
cheers of the day.
DUBAI WORLD CUP
www.dubaiworldcup.com
The Dubai International Racing Carnival, run-
ning from February through to the end of
March, culminates in the Dubai World Cup,
the world’s richest horse race and the city’s
biggest social event. While there’s no bet-
ting, many of Dubai’s society women take a
punt in wearing some of the silliest hats this
side of the Melbourne Cup. Godolphin, the
December
DUBAI INTERNATIONAL FILM
FESTIVAL
www.dubaifilmfest.com
Independent and art-house cinema is
thin on the ground in Dubai, making this
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