Joanna James
A cosmopolitan city, which well serves the modern traveller, Dubai lacks nothing as a holiday destination. Listed below are some facts about the city that do not make it into the limelight. These little details will help you understand this Middle Eastern city better.
Emiratis are a rather private crowd; hence, you will not find yourself chatting to locals on the beach or at the supermarket. For most tourists the closest they will get to a 'local' is when they are at airport customs getting into the city. But, this does not mean you cannot encounter local lifestyles, because you can do so by visiting the Sheikh Mohammed Museum of Cultural Understanding. There you can hook-up with locals for a number of exciting activities like cooking lessons, taking on heritage tours and sitting down to a traditional dinner. It must be noted that Emiratis are outnumbered by Dubai's expat community on a shocking 6:1 ratio; as such you will encounter a number of Asian's, Indians, Pakistani's and westerners in the city.
Guests staying at hotels in Dubai Deira district will be surrounded by impressive architecture both old and new. And indeed at one time, a quarter of the world cranes were working on buildings in Dubai. The city can boast over 1,344 skyscrapers and is home to the world's tallest tower, the Burj Khaliffa standing at a height of 828 metres. The Dubai Fountain, although not the tallest in the world are quite impressive while the Princess Tower standing at a height of 413 metres in the Dubai Marina region was the tallest residential tower until 2014, when it was surpassed by 432 Park Avenue in New York, boasting a height of 426 metres. Guests at AVANI Deira Dubai Hotel will find the Dubai Fountain only 13.2kms away, hence a visit is highly recommended.
The Dubai police don't rely on hum-drum cars to chase crime, oh no, they have an elite fleet of Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Bentley's and McLarens to help do the job right. Your hint to staying within the law, the police cars in Dubai are capable of catching up to any runaway vehicle or criminal, especially with the aid of cars such as, the Lamborghini Aventador which is capable of revving it up from zero to 60 in a matter of 3 seconds. One more point to consider is the fact that Dubai police boasts its own bagpiper band, which performs at state events.
Neighbouring Emirate Abu Dhabi, helped with the completion of the Burj Khalifa, which would not have been completed due to the financial crisis the city was in at the time. The tower was to be named the Burj Dubai which means Dubai Tower but was renamed, after Emir of Abu Dhabi and President of the UAE Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan helped with the construction costs to the tune of 6.13 billion Sterling Pounds.
Almost 70% of Dubai's population is male. This higher proportion rate is most likely due to the fact; the city is home to a large number of expat males working there, while their families are back in their home countries. On a sprightly note, only 15% of the population is in the range of 45 years or older.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
