Since ancient times, Dubai has been a place where Bedouin nomads, urban traders, pearl catchers, fishermen met. Now the emirate is an international business center and at the same time a great place to relax.
Dubai stretches along the Persian Gulf. The city of Dubai is the capital of the Emirate. It is crossed by a bay called Khor-Dubai 10-kilometer long, which divides the city into two parts. The southern part, known as Bar Dubai, where the Ruler's office, the head offices of most companies, banks, customs, port, television and mail are located. The most notable are the Dubai Shopping Center, the Zoo and Al Jumeirah Park by the sea.
The northern part, known as Deira, is a business and tourism center. There are most shops, markets, schools, hotels, clubs and Dubai International Airport. These two parts are connected by Al Maktoum and Al-Gharhoud bridges and the Al Shandaga tunnel, which passes under Al-Khor Bay. Jebel Ali is a unique industrial and commercial zone for the whole country. It is the largest free economic zone in the entire Persian Gulf. It contains Dry Dock, Jebel Ali Port and Dubai Aluminum Factory. The most important tourist attractions are the Khatta district, Al-Avira and Al-Hwanij.
Modern living standards and refinement of the XXI century exist here next to the ancient culture, Islamic traditions and simplicity of the mores of the past centuries. 160 km separates the cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The road connecting the two cities is now the busiest in the country, as these two neighboring emirates are the most populated and economically developed in the UAE.
By the 1950s, Dubai, thanks to active trade, had become the most prosperous city on the coast. Oil exports from this area first began in 1969, i.e. a few years later than from Abu Dhabi, and in an amount much smaller, but nevertheless quite sufficient for the construction of a modern city on the site of an old commercial settlement. In rapid urban development, Dubai has retained its individual features more than any other city in the UAE. The bay - the heart of the city - still determines its colorful appearance. It is always filled with single-masted vessels entering and leaving it and small boats of abars that deliver passengers from one bank to another. The landscape of the Bay is complemented from Deira with tall modern buildings, among which stands out the Deira Tower (Daira Tower).
Dubai's brandy sparkling skyscrapers decorate the city very much. Dubai's 39-storey World Trade Center stands lonely on the road leading to the city from Abu Dhabi. This powerful tower is one of the tallest buildings in Arabia. It was built under Sheikh Rashid, who planned to turn Dubai from a small traditional trading town into a modern city. On his initiative, Maktoum Hospital was founded and the airport was designed, which made Dubai the leading emirate even before the beginning of the oil era. His sons implemented his other plans. In 1985, Dubai opened its own airline, the main base of which was the recently expanded International Airport.
Dubai, like Abu Dhabi, is famous for many mosques. The Jumeirah Grand Mosque is another creation of Sheikh Rashid. This beautiful mosque, lined with a golden stone with rich carvings, reflects the style of the Egyptian Fatimid era. The modern stylized mosque Ibrahim al Khalil stands out for its architecture, which is located south of Khalid bin al Walid Street. This is a white building of strict outlines, the facade is decorated with high arched niches. The original architecture of another modern mosque at Rashid Hospital. This small building is a simple dome with a large crescent moon, rising directly from the ground. The open minaret is decorated with four white columns.
On the shores of the bay, especially in Bur-Dubai, there are hotels with beaches, palm trees, many restaurants, bars, a variety of cafes. The city has 23 hotels of the first category (Hilton, Fort Grand Jumeirah, etc.), the second (Astoria, Ambassador, etc.) and the third, many of the cheapest, designed for shuttles and students. Restaurants - a variety of national cuisines. The easiest way is to master the cuisine of national fish restaurants in East Asia, which demonstrate the richness and diversity of the local fish market. Dubai is one of the few Asian countries where eating on the street is hardly associated with more risk than in a restaurant: the sanitary service here is incorruptible.
The city has large golf clubs and a yacht club (in the form of giant Latin sails of an Arab ship); there are also golf courses at some cool hotels. You can not only go for walks on boats and boats, but also do water surfing, skiing, scuba diving among corals.