Dubai Overview

The Beginning
Dubai welcomes all visitors in true Arabian hospitality, whether you arrive over land, by air or sea. An emirate within the United Arab Emirates, Dubai began its dramatic transformation from pearl-diving and a fishing village, along with the discovery of oil in the late 1960s. Now the busiest tourism, trade and commerce hub in the region, Dubai’s dependence on the oil economy is minimal. This unprecedented development is marked by the growth in population of the United Arab Emirates as a whole, from a mere 200,000 to a remarkable 4 million. True to the visionary spirit that built the city of Dubai, such rapid growth has not yet gone unchecked.

The Dubai Desert Conservation reserve was created to nurture and protect the emirate’s vast natural heritage for future generations. Who would have thought back in the 1960s, when Dubai’s modest airport was stretched to capacity on the arrival of a DC-3, that today Dubai international Airport would be handling over 22 million passengers a year. According to realistic projections, 60 million passengers are expected to pass through annually by 2010. A massive influx, which is being met by an expansion program, includes a new terminal and two new concourses, all purpose-built for Emirates Airlines. Once the last phase completes in 2008, the airport will have the capacity to handle 70 million passengers annually.

This futuristic 21st century structure houses an excellent variety of food and beverage facilities, a superb duty-free shopping as well as award-winning First and business Class lounges. Another perfect gateway to this fascinating city is the award-winning Dubai Cruise ship Terminal. With a terminal space covering 3,300 square meters, it is located on a 335m quay with the capacity to simultaneously berth two ships. Projections put arrivals in the current year at 13,000 visitors - a figure that is also expected to increase annually.

A Global Hub
Enviably located between the East and West, Dubai is only a six to eight hour flight from Europe, Africa, Asia and the Far East, while approximately a 13-hour flight from the cities of the USA, Japan and Australia. Providing unrivalled levels of security and personal safety, the city has been internationally recognized for its low crime environment, a contributing factor to the millions of visitors the city attracts each year. On offer is one of the most exciting places on earth, a desert paradise where a unique collage of the old and the new can be experienced.

So Much to see, do and experience
Year-round sunshine and pristine beaches to enjoy and a cosmopolitan nightlife to write home about. With easy access through its ultra-modern airport, served by over 110 airlines, Dubai truly is a modern city.
The city of Dubai offers all manner of cuisines from every corner of the globe as well as shopping to tame even the wildest spenders - now the famous Dubai shopping Festival, held annually, brings together traditional souks (including the famous Gold souk) and the modern air-conditioned malls, in a month-long shopping and entertainment extravaganza.

Sports facilities and international events are second to none as Dubai hosts The Dubai Desert Classic, The rugby World Cup sevens and the Dubai World Cup, to name a few. An extensive range of hotels within Dubai and the surrounding regions, along with a plethora of leisure facilities, provide something for every taste and budget. A diverse range of convention and meeting options include the 12,000 delegate Dubai international Convention Centre. Staging of some of the world’s more prominent economic and political events, the city is experienced with logistics of handling 20,000 convention visitors at one time, and more.

A Glittering oasis in the desert
One would never believe while gazing over Dubai’s sparkling skyline that this ultra-modern metropolis was once a sleepy desert trading port where the local population lived in simple yet profoundly innovative structures built from mud and coral. Today, the same structures with their iconic wind towers, can be seen juxtaposed against some of the world’s most striking skyscrapers and contemporary architecture.