Dubai Destination Guide Contents Contents 2 Quick Facts 3 About Dubai 4 Events & Nightlife 5 Top Destinations 10 Tours & Activities 14 Food & Dining Out 16 Shopping 19 Best Time To Visit 21 Travel Tips 22 Quick Facts Flying Time: 7.5 hours Currency: AED dirhams Language: Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, Persian, Bengali, Malayalam, Tulu and Tamil Time Zone: GMT+4 Visit For: Great Beaches, Scuba Diving, Safari & Wildlife, Culture, Architecture, Shopping, Extreme Sports, Spa, Beautiful Scenery 3 About Dubai After the previous decade’s highs and lows, Dubai is finally maturing into a more orderly city. The crane-ridden skyline, characteristic of the boom years, has given way to a more measured and controlled pace of development following the global recession – a timely recovery as the United Arab Emirates Federation celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. Nevertheless, this vibrant east-meets-west city retains its ability to build, surprise and tantalise. The economic turmoil of the last few years has wrought painful changes to Dubai’s retail, rental and property markets, and led to the plug being pulled on numerous high profile building projects. In other areas, the impact has been more stark: a host of more affordable mid- market and budget hotels have sprung up in a city previously renowned for its ostentatious accommodation. A new tourist tax, introduced in early 2014, will add extra costs to all accommodation bills, so even if tourists pay for a hotel in advance, they must pay the tax locally when checking out. A more telling sign of the zeitgeist is perhaps the planned opening of a British bargain basement store Poundstretcher, which is set to open in the opulent Madina Mall, famed for its designer brands. Were it not for the Arab Spring of 2011, which saw a revolutionary wave of pro-democracry protests across 12 countries in the region, Dubai’s fortunes may well have dwindled further. But political instability in disaffected countries has spurred companies, individuals and tourists to relocate and rebook from the trouble spots to the Middle East emirate. Today, Dubai’s impressive infrastructure continues to be its trump card. The highways flow more readily than the pre-downturn era, thanks predominantly to the Dubai Metro, which now boasts a second line, the Green Line, which serves as an inner-city loop. Dubai International Airport has expanded; Emirates’ vast Terminal 3, matched only in ambition by its steady stream of A380s, have helped fuel the passenger volumes, along with the rapid growth of low-cost airline flydubai, operating from Terminal 2. By 2016, it is expected to overtake London Heathrow as the world’s largest international airport. And in stubborn defiance of the recession, Dubai continues to push the boundaries when it comes to hotels; evidence of this is the luxurious Turkish-themed Jumeirah Zabeel Saray hotel, complete with its own theatre and vast spa, and idyllic One & Only The Palm, both on the Western Crescent of Palm Jumeirah. Across the water next to Dubai Marina, the luxury Grosvenor House Dubai recently opened a second tower – the two towers are now connected by a walkway – with 106 rooms and suites and the stylish B’Attitude spa offering five hammam pools. Indeed, Dubai is attempting to boost its appeal by positioning itself as the Maldives of the Middle East for spa holidays. Meanwhile, new areas of interest are emerging, namely the ‘New Dubai’ district, encompassing Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, The Walk and Jumeirah Beach Residence. So while large-scale developments are thinner on the ground than yesteryear, and Abu Dhabi is steadily rising in prominence as an alternative choice for holidaymakers seeking sun in the region, Dubai hasn’t lost all its taste for size and grandeur. With its plethora of hotels and well- developed infrastructure, it remains the premier travel destination in the Middle East. 4 Events & Nightlife See the list of exciting Events taking place in Dubai, as well as the varied Nightlife on offer Events Dubai Rugby Sevens From: 04-12-2014 To: 06-12-2014 Various. From its humble beginnings as a game played by a handful of British expatriates in the 1960s, the Dubai Rugby Sevens has grown to become a major sporting event in the country – and to accommodate the increasing numbers, it now has its own purpose-built stadium on the Al Ain Road. The modern-day tournament features 16 international teams who play in games lasting just 22 minutes each. Held in the Dubai Exiles Rugby Ground with a 50,000 crowd capacity, the Dubai Rugby Sevens always generates an exciting atmosphere that attracts rugby fans from all over the world. The Sevens Stadium complex now features a cricket ground too, and has hosted several fixtures. A selection of English county teams played matches as part of their pre-season training. Venue Name: Dubai Exiles Rugby Ground Dubai Shopping Festival From: 01-01-2015 To: 01-02-2015 All the big stores and almost every shop in Dubai slashes prices in this month-long retail extravaganza. Venue Name: Various shopping malls Dubai Marathon From: 23-01-2015 To: 23-01-2015 Various fees according to race entered; different prices for UAE residents. Take in the dynamic sights of this world-renowned city while pounding a marathon, 10km (6 miles) road race or shorter charity run, depending on your ability. The Dubai marathon attracts local and international athletes every year, with big prize money for the winners. Venue Name: Course starts and finishes at the Dubai World Trade Centre Dubai Desert Classic From: 26-01-2015 To: 01-02-2015 5 Played on the beautiful Emirates Golf Club course in Dubai, this annual tournament is part of the European Tour and is loved by golfers and golf fans around the world. Always attracting the biggest names in the sport, the tournament boasts past winners who are such greats as Seve Balsteros, Ernie Els, Colin Montgomerie and Tiger Woods. One of the most famous Dubai Desert Classics of recent years was the 2001 tournament when a certain Tiger Woods found the water on the tricky 18th hole allowing Thomas Bjorn to steal victory on the final hole. The Dubai Desert Classic has been complemented by The Race to Dubai, in which the European Tour’s top players compete in a minimum of 50 tournaments in a season-long contest that replaced The European Tour Order of Merit. Venue Name: Emirates Golf Club Dubai Tennis Championships From: 23-02-2015 To: 02-03-2015 Various. Featuring singles and doubles competitions for both men and women, the annual Dubai Tennis Championships attract some of the biggest names from the sport. Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova and Lindsay Davenport have all played here in the past. With huge prize money at stake, the women's tournament is part of the WTA Tour and the men's is part of the ATP Tour and always produces some explosive matches. Venue Name: Dubai Tennis Stadium Dubai World Cup (horse race) From: 01-03-2015 To: 28-03-2015 Various. A huge event not only in Dubai but in horse racing circles around the world, The Dubai World Cup is the richest horse race meeting globally. The Dubai World Cup is always the thrilling finale, but it is one race on the 2km (1.3 mile) sand and dirt track which is flood-lit at night and crowded with thousands of cheering spectators. A further five thoroughbred group races are included in the day's programme plus another group for purebred Arabian horses. The races attract some of the best horses and riders in the field, eager to compete for million of dollars that are at stake in prize money. This one is a must for horse racing aficionados. Venue Name: Nad Al Sheba Racecourse Al-Hijra (Islamic New Year) From: 24-10-2015 To: 25-10-2015 Free. 6 Celebrated throughout the Muslim World, the Islamic New Year or 'Al-Hijra' occurs on the first day of the month of Muharram which begins on Hijra in the Muslim calendar. Hijra occurred in 622CE and marks the occasion when the Prophet Muhammad emigrated from Mecca to Medina to create the first Islamic state. It is not as big as the two main Muslim festivals of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha and is more a time of reflection and contemplation. Venue Name: Throughout Dubai Nightlife Much like any city, Dubai’s nightlife scene is now fairly scattered, growing in tandem with the disparate communities which have shot up in the emirate. A few years ago, the heart of Dubai’s nightlife was in and around the swish Madinat Jumeirah complex, where a string of trendy bars recline by the water's edge. But now there are abundant options in the Al Barsha district, and throughout the nearby ‘New Dubai’ tower-ridden district, encompassing Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Media City, Dubai Marina, The Walk and Jumeirah Beach Residence. Comedy nights, gigs from up-and-coming (and fading) stars and big-name DJs are all part of the city’s increasingly broad entertainments scene. Dress codes for bars are generally relaxed, although some bars and all clubs insist on no jeans, trainers or sandals. A more mellow night out can be had at one of Dubai's coffee houses, where you can smoke apple-flavoured tobacco from a shisha pipe. For latest entertainment listings, pick up a copy of What’s On Dubai or or Time Out Dubai, which can be found in many hotels or online . Both provide a full rundown of what is happening in any given month.