Dubai: Vegas of the Middle East

The modern city state of Dubai is part of the United Arab Emirates and is a truly exciting and cosmopolitan destination in the Middle East. With a blend of local culture and contemporary skyscrapers, the city is a thrilling place to visit. With luxury dining and accommodations, upscale shopping and incredible tourism attractions, Dubai is one of the top places for visitors in all of the Middle East. Here are six of the top attractions in Dubai.

Burj Khalifa

As the world’s tallest structure, the Burj Khalifa is a popular attraction in Dubai. The tower stands at a height of 828 metres and boasts an observation deck on the 124th floor of the tower. While most of the building is devoted to office space or residences, guests can buy tickets to ride the elevator to the observation deck and admire the expanse of the city below.

Jumeirah Beach

Although there are several beautiful and sandy beaches in Dubai, the most popular is Jumeirah Beach. It consists of seven individual beaches that are each one kilometer in length. Some are devoted to swimming and recreation, while others are for nightlife, dining, parks or the water-themed amusement park called Wild Wadi.

Dubai Marina

This area of Dubai consists of new developments and is rapidly becoming one of the more upscale shopping, dining and residential areas in the city. The Dubai Marina boasts a large shopping complex, several beaches and an extensive boardwalk.

Gold Souk

Although much of the shopping in Dubai is very modern, the souks are ancient markets that are steeped in local culture and history. High quality gold is sold in the gold souk, but the bargaining and casual negotiations are an unusual shopping experience when buying such expensive products. Even if you’re not in the market to buy anything, walk through the market and take in the piles of gold dust and stacks of gold bars for sale.

Dubai Mall

Dubai is known for incredible malls and upscale shopping experience, and the Dubai Mall is the perfect example of this. Located at the base of the Burj Khalifa, the mall boasts the honour of being the largest shopping center in the entire world. It holds a large aquarium, an ice skating rink and more than one thousand stores and vendors.

Palm Jumeirah

This island is one of the world famous Palm Islands, an incredible destination of man-made islands created to look like a large palm tree. Palm Jumeirah occupies more than five square kilometres and boasts luxurious accommodations, dining and shopping.

Whether you are searching for modernity in the Dubai Mall or the Burj Khalifa or culture and history in the old souks, Dubai is the perfect holiday destination.

Photo by A.Al-m3oosherji