Dubai Megacity
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. ~ Geography ~
Dubai is one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Located on the Persian Gulf Coast it is largest emirate in terms of population and largest in area. The current ruler of Dubai is Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He is also the Prime Minister and Vice President of UAE. Incidentally the capital and largest city of this emirate is called Dubai City.
The Dubai creek that runs through the city divides it into two halves. Deira, where the old city center is located is to the north and Bur Dubai is situated to the south.
. ~ History ~
The Al Maktoum royal family have been the rulers of Dubai since early 1800's. The emirate of Dubai was officially created when Abu Dhabi, Dubai and five other emirates came together to form United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 1971. Historically Dubai was a natural harbor and therefore was a center for sea-trade, fishing and pearling industry. Later it became the hub of gold trade earning it the nickname of "City of Gold". Even to this day the Dubai gold market called the gold "souks" are world famous. Oil was discovered her in 1966, but today it contributes only about 6% of its revenue. Starting early 1990's Dubai transformed itself into a service based economy and emerged as a popular tourist destination.
. ~ The Megacity ~
Starting in the early 1990's Dubai has rapidly transformed itself into a modern marvel. The city has grown at a blistering pace and it has only acclerated in the past few years. It is estimated that 15%-25% of the construction cranes is being employed in Dubai. The photo below shows the metamorphosis of Dubai from vast tracts of desert into a flashy and gleaming megacity.
Dubai is known for its megaprojects. Its home to some of the most ambitious construction projects. The most iconic of them is the Burj Al Arab. Considered the world's only "seven star" hotel. It is built in the shape of a ship's sail. The world's tallest building called the Burj Dubai is also being built here. Estimated to be 800 meters tall, it will be 40% taller than the current tallest building - Taipei 101. Not quite satisfied, there are plans to build a even taller building called the Al Burj.
The other marvels of Dubai include the renowned Palm Islands, three island structures in the shape of a palm frond and World Island, a man made archipelago of 300 islands shaped as a world map. Dubai also boasts of a ski resort in the middle of the desert and a under water hotel being constructed called the hydropolis. Check out the next page for more on MegaProjects >>.
In the world of sports, Dubai will host the richest golf tournament next year as a part of the european tour called the Dubai World Championship. The same goes for the Standard Chartered Dubai marathon. It also hosts the richest horse race and horse show called the Dubai World Cup and Dubai Gold cup.
. ~ Visitor Information ~
Since Dubai has become a wonderland of man-made structures and a shopping mecca of the middle east it has attracted tourists in droves. Dubai is well connected to the rest of the world by air and is served by many different airlines. Dubai's own airlines the Emirates is a premier award winning airline that flies to more than hundred destinations. Here they offer some insights on Dubai, for prospective visitors.
Besides the many architectural attractions and nice clean beaches, Dubai also has many huge malls that offer not only a wide variety of shops but food and lots of entertainment. Dubai also organizes an International shopping festival every year in January that stretches for 32 days. Also you can venture outside of the city limits for a fun day of Desert Safari and a night of festivities. Getting around Dubai is convenient.
Taxis are easy to find and charge a reasonable fare. Also city buses ply at regular intervals and a rail system is almost completed. Many high end hotels offer chaueffer driven cars for their customers. For the brave and adventurous souls, car rentals are also available.
Visas can be obtained on arrival for visitors from US, most of the countries from Europe and Asia. There are valid for 60 days. Visitors from non-eligible countries can also get a 96 hours visa on arrival. For longer duration of stay for these visitors visas can be easily prearranged. More information can be obtained at the website for Dept. of Naturalization and Residency.
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