Travel destinations: Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Part 7

Is it exciting or just a building site?

Contrary to some reports, Dubai is not just a building site with masses of cranes. You’ve probably heard this from someone that’s briefly visited Dubai, but it’s definitely wrong. Yes, there is an extensive building programme, which is ongoing, but local residents, UAE nationals and ex-pats alike just accept this as part of their daily lives and business.

Over the last 75 years, Dubai has transformed itself from a being a simple pearl-diving centre’ into a powerful international trading hub with impressive worldwide links and an ever changing ethnic identity. With a huge contingent of foreign manual workers from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan and service industry employees mostly from the Philippines, Middle East, Europe and Australasia, it’s not difficult to see why the changing population is increasing so rapidly.

Much of the Gulf region is experiencing extraordinary levels of growth, with the city of Dubai currently being at the fore-front. Although Dubai is intent on creating masses of future development projects for many years to come, it continues to provide the infrastructure to run in parallel. One of the newest development projects is the prestigious Tiger Woods Golf Complex Al Ruwaya, which is due to open in September 2009. (See more about Tiger Woods Dubai). In reality, the expansion of Dubai is generally geared to causing the minimum of disruption to business, services, residents and tourists as much as possible. Experts seem to agree that Dubai is a unique fusion of both the old and new, and is a leading inspiration for others to ensue.

Dubai Highlights – What it’s really like.

If you arrive late at night at Dubai Airport from, say a UK airport, getting through the Arrivals area could well be manic’ with waiting friends and relatives gathered around the main entrance in vast numbers. At least until your taxi finally gets you away. Book an overnight flight to arrive at breakfast-time and you’ll probably find it a very civilised experience and easy to spot those greeting you. First impressions usually count, and on the way to your chosen holiday accommodation or hotel, you’ll see lines of impressive glass panelled hotels and office blocks glistening in the sunshine. During spring and early summer you’re sure to pass some amazing floral gardens that border the interchanges along the Sheikh Zayed Road, their colours will astound you. In the heat of the Dubai desert, you’ll wonder how they can