From timeless tranquillity desert to lively bustle the souk, Dubai offers a kaleidoscope
of attractions for visitors.
The emirate embraces a wide variety of scenery in a very small area. In a single
day, the tourist can experience everything from rugged mountains and awe-inspiring
sand dunes to sandy beaches and lush green parks, from dusty villages to luxurious
residential districts and from ancient houses with windtowers to ultra-modern shopping
malls.
The emirate is both a dynamic international business centre and a laid-back tourist
escape; a city where the sophistication of the 21st century walks hand in hand with
the simplicity of a bygone era.
But these contrasts give Dubai its unique flavour and personality; a cosmopolitan
society with an international lifestyle, yet with a culture deeply rooted in the
Islamic traditions of Arabia.
Since earliest times, Dubai has been a meeting place, bringing together the Bedouin
of the desert interior with the pearl-diver, the merchant of the city with the sea-going
fisherman.
Dubai City
Having expanded along both banks of the Creek, Dubai’s central business district
is divided into two parts — Deira on the northern side and Bur Dubai to the south
— connected by a tunnel and two bridges. Each has its share of fine mosques and
busy souks, of public buildings, shopping malls, hotels, office towers, banks, hospitals,
schools, apartments and villas.
Outside this core, the city extends to the neighbouring emirate of Sharjah to the
north, while extending south and west in a long ribbon of development alongside
the Gulf, through the districts of Satwa, Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim.
At first glance, the city presents a predominantly modern face, an ever-changing
skyline of new developments, from striking glass and concrete towers to gracious
modern buildings incorporating traditional Arabian architectural motifs and features.