Today was our first day of touring. After a full day on hotel property it was nice to see somthing different. Only a half day tour eased us into the new mode but also returned us in time to relax more. We had a guide, Nael, who took great care of us. Dubai is actually rather small, we pretty much drove the length of it in less than an hour and he shared some interesting information as we moved between sites:
- Only 20% of Dubai’s year round population are people born here, the rest are foreign nationals who came for work.
- Nael is a Syrian by birth and came here to Dubai to work as a guide when the tourism market in Syria crashed. His father also worked as a guide and now resides in Germany.
- Dubai has multiple free trade zones where business that operate in them are exempt from all taxes. It is one of several in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and they are quite prosporus as you may have guessed.
- In the development of Dubai there are areas where only citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) can live. This is to preserve local culture while allowing others to live the lifestyle they prefer.
- Dubai’s first big product in the world was actually pearls which readily available in the Persian Gulf when the region was settled. When the Japanese developed cultured pearls the local pearl market crashed resulting in the one of the first financial crises locally.
Our first stop of the day was outside the Burj Al Arab, the hotel development that put Dubai on the map. Completed in 1999, it is designed to look like a sail in the wind and is not open to the casual visitor. Nael said he has been inside many times however he finds the interior a bit over the top. He taught us an arab saying “More is the brother of less” which is a good desciption of anything that is a bit over the top.
Next stop was the Palm Jumeirah, an archipelago of artificial islands that looks like a palm tree from above. Originally shaped like a star, the shape was changed when Shiek Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai requested more land be added. Our stop was at the Palm Tower which was at the top of the “trunk” and has some fantastic views of the development and Dubai in general. Nael told us that Dutch firms were originally hired to build the archipelago but a chinese firm undercut the bid and were handed to task. When the second firm failed to make progress the original firm was invited back and ended up being paid twice their original bid due to having to redo the work of the second firm do to poor quality. Now almost fully developed it is more crowded than originally planned to make up for cost overruns. Overall it is a true site to be seen.
The next two (quick) stops are interesting buildings dedicated to the past and future of Dubai. The Museum of the future is a torus shaped building containing looks ahead to about the year 2071 and is associated with the Dubai Future Foundation. The next stop was The Dubai Frame, a monument marking the large changes in Dubai over the past several decades. Look one way thru the frame, see the older section, look the other way and see all the new development. A monument not unlike the St Louis Arch.
Now it was off to the past. Dubai Creek has been the center of trade routes thru the area for many centuries thus Dubai originated around it. Our first stop was in a representation of a traditional home where Nael described how people lived there and, more importantly how the homes were cooled using wind towers. Then it was time for a boat ride across Dubai Creek to the Old Souk Bazar.
The Old Souk Bazar is a place where almost anything is available for a price. In better condition than I expected we limited our visit to the spice and gold souks. We were constantly asked to come in the shops however, with our next stop being Egypt, we did not purchase anything. Keeps the entry easier IMHO.
Our final stop of the day was at the Burj Khalifa, currently the tallest building in the world. At 2,722 ft (over half a mile) it is twice as tall as the Empire State building. Part of the Downtown Dubai complex, its design was inspired by Islamic architecture where buildings tradionally set back as they get taller. The tower stands over the Dubai Mall, one of the largest malls in the world. And I though parking at Westfield Valley Fair was bad! We made to the the 148th floor, one of several observation decks available. At 1,821 ft (555 meters) Kim would not go near the edge and went inside quickly. The views were spectacular to say the least. Nael offered to leave us at the complex to look around and get a bite however between the heat, humidity and being jet-lagged still we decided to return to the hotel. Dubai and rhe UAE deserves a second visit in our future travels.
