Dubai: Enjoy life!

Photo of: The Fairmont Dubai Hotel


Dubai is to the Middle East what Hong Kong is to Asia: a capitalist boom town buzzing with activity. Most visitors to the region stop here for at least a day to browse the shops, eat in the restaurants and soak up the atmosphere of a city that oozes wealth and a general air of self-satisfied confidence.
Nestled between the languid Southern Gulf waters and sweeping desert, cosmopolitan Dubai is blessed by a superb year-round climate, and with its numerous opulent hotels, towering attractions, peerless shopping, stunning entertainment and commercial opportunities, makes Dubai an ideal destination for the traveller enjoying a luxury vacation or business trip.
Dubai's cityscape is undergoing dramatic redevelopment, with a number of record-breaking projects - including the planet's tallest five-star deluxe hotel (the Burj al-Arab), largest man-made marina (Dubai Marina) and largest man-made island (Palm Islands) - in progress. The Dubai Waterfront project is set to add 500 miles of man-made waterfront filled with canals and hotel-rich islands: a development the size of Manhattan!



Vast investment in luxury golf and entertainment resorts - such as Dubailand and Dubai Golf City - means the city is set for even more dramatic growth as a prestige destination, and Dubai's strategic Middle East location has made it popular as an international convention city.
Recognised as one of Asia's premier shopping cities, Dubai's tax-free shopping attracts visitors with its range of quality goods, notably gold and jewelry, electrical items and stylish fashions from Europe. The city's fine department stores, malls, boutiques and souks are complemented by a first-rate airport shopping centre and even retail festivals - adding a dash more entertainment to an already heady retail scene. Dubai is a world-class venue for many top sporting events: the Dubai Desert Classic Golf Tournament, the Dubai Tennis Championships, Sevens Rugby Union tournament, Emirates off-shore Power Boat Grand Prix, and the UAE Desert Motorsport Challenge amongst them. Perhaps the city's blue riband sporting event is the world's richest horse race, the Dubai World Cup - a thrilling night time spectacle contested at the Nad Al Sheba track that attracts the finest thoroughbreds from around the globe.
Amongst Dubai's foremost outdoor attractions are its breathtaking golf courses: layouts such as Creek Golf & Yacht Club and the Emirates Golf Club set a memorable challenge. Take a desert safari or try the unusual desert pastime of ice skating at the rink in the Galleria shopping mall.
With its surfeit of great restaurants, bars, live music venues and nightclubs, Dubai offers full-on evening entertainment, after which you can retire to truly luxurious accommodation. Dubai offers over 400 luxury hotels, meeting the needs of the most discerning guests. Many of the world's most prominent hotel chains operate star-class hotels in the Emirates, among them being the seven-star Burj Al Arab. Even the standard facilities are exceptional with swimming pools, tennis courts and fully equipped health centres coming as standard. Top hotels generally offer a choice of fine restaurants, with several waterfront hotels having excellent beaches and extensive watersports facilities.