Spotlight on… Dubai
Lavish, exuberant, and the undisputed land of excess. Welcome to Dubai! Towering buildings decorated with gold, super malls stocked with the world’s finest and most expensive goods and cities built in the ocean. When Dubai does something, it does it big. Police here drive supercars just to keep up with the local population’s luxury fleet, and the streets are impeccably clean. It’s an incredible place and a marvel of engineering and human ingenuity.
This oasis in the desert has a surprisingly forward thinking and modern way of life for such an ancient native culture. Yet hidden amongst all of the bling, some of that heady Arabian magic can still be found. Here are five amazing facts about Dubai:
Culture
The religion of Dubai is Islam, and it is strictly followed. Visitors are advised to dress modestly. Kissing and holding hands in Dubai is illegal and can result in fines or deportation. However, inside the luxurious resorts some rules are a little more relaxed. Non-Muslims are allowed in certain places to consume alcohol (with a license) and pork. Only around 20% of the population are Emirates, the remaining 80% expats from all over the world. Dubai is one of the seven emirates in the UAE and the official language is Arabic, although English is also widely used.
The Land of the Record Breakers!
Dubai certainly knows how to break world records, it has over 200 of them! Here you will find some of the greatest feats of modern architecture, as well as some other records just because they can:
- The world’s tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa at 828 meters.
- The world’s largest shopping mall, with more than 1,200 stores
- The world’s most luxurious hotel, the Burj Al Arab, the only one with a 7-star rating
- The largest man-made islands, the Palms Jumeira can even be seen from space!
- The world’s longest handmade gold chain made of 22 carat gold and 5km in length
- The world’s largest chocolate sculpture of the Burj Khalifa was 13.52 meters tall and used 500 tons of chocolate!
Climate
Only around 87mm of rain falls annually in Dubai, and temperatures can reach over 50 degrees celsius. Keeping cool is an absolute must, even the bus stops have air conditioning. Lucky for you there’s plenty to do inside, with aquariums, museums, art galleries and more. If you’re really missing the cold, why not pay a visit to the indoor ski slopes? Dubai has one of the world’s largest, naturally!
Bling is King!
Dubai adores all things that shine and sparkle, here you’ll find ATMs that dispense gold bars for those moments when the dirham just won’t do. No visit to Dubai is complete without a visit to the Deira Gold Souk, where you can spend hours browsing rows upon rows of gold jewelry. Shop around and haggle away, gold prices are already some of the cheapest in the world. The price fluctuates every day just like the stock market. Don’t forget to decide which karat you want, 24k, 22k and 18k are all available!
Don’t Forget the Camels!
Equally revered and an important part of Dubai’s tradition and culture, the camel was used for transport, trade, food, and milk. They are famously known as the ship of the desert thanks to their swaying gait, very much like a ship! Camel racing is extremely popular in Dubai, however due to their size only children could race. Pressure from the international community eventually put a stop to this as many children were trafficked just to participate. Of course, the UAE soon came up with a solution, and now robots are produced for the sole purpose of racing! Be sure to spend some time with these magnificent animals when visiting Dubai!
We’re really excited to be in Dubai to learn more! What are your favorite facts about this incredible emirate?