THE DUBAI GUIDE The entertainment capital of the Middle East
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Table Of Contents IABUD Forward Chapter 1
1 History
Old Dubai The Dubai Museum The Jumeirah Mosque
Chapter 2
Hotels
The Jumeirah beach hotel The Emirate Towers The Burj Al Arab
Chapter 3
Leisure
3 4 6 8
11 12 14 16
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Wild Wadi Park Ski Dubai The Jumeirah Mosque
20 22 24
Index
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Forward IABUD The Dubai guide is a reference tool for discovering the wonders of Dubai. This travel guide features aspects of the old and new world of Dubai. The book contains images, original artwork and traditional Middle Eastern patterns that relate to Dubai. The Dubai Guide features historical sites, Hotels and activities. Dubai’s wealth originates form the oil industry, but in recent years tourism has become the main source of revenue. Dubai is known for its lavish shopping, beautiful architecture, beaches, and activities, fine dining, and much more. With a number of different interesting aspects of culture and fun, Dubai is becoming one of the most desirable travel locations in the world.
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History Dubai’s geographical proximity to Iran made it an important trade location. The town of Dubai was an important port of call for foreign tradesmen, chiefly those from Iran, many of whom eventually settled in the town. By the beginning of the 20th century, it was an important port. Dubai was known for its pearl exports until the 1930’. In 1973, Dubai joined the other emirates, in introducing the UAE dirham, the uniform currency of the UAE. Dubai & Abu Dhabi between them now hold the majority of control in the UAE, which was part of their conditions for joining. Remnants of the ancient world of Dubai can still be seen throughout the city.
Old Dubai Dubai is one of the seven states that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE); it is located in the Middle East. The UAE borders the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf and is situated between Oman and Saudi Arabia. The United Arab Emirates was formed in 1971 by the then ‘Trucial States’ after their independence from Britain. The UAE is governed by a Supreme Council of Rulers, the council is made up of the seven emirs and they appoint the prime minister and the cabinet for the country. Despite being ultimately ruled by the Supreme Council, as with the other six states, Dubai maintains a large degree of autonomy from the UAE when it comes to general decision making for the city’s development.
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Persian Gulf
ABU DHABI
Oil was first discovered in the United Arab Emirates in the 1950’s, before that the country’s economy was built on fishing and periling, since 1962, when Abu Dhabi became the first of the emirates to begin exporting the oil, the country’s economy has been completely transformed.
Al’Ayn Ar Ruways
SAUDI ARABIA Qujit
OMAN
HISTORY
DUBAI
QATAR
Sheikh Zayed, who has been the president of the UAE since its inception, quickly understood the economic potential for the country from the oil industry. He has continued to ensure that each of the emirates benefits from the oil generated wealth, he has insisted on the reinvestment of oil revenues into the health care system, the education system and the general national infrastructure. The development of the oil industry has led to a large influx of foreign workers to the UAE, in fact Dubai’s population is the fastest growing in the world.
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The Dubai Museum The museum occupies the early-19th-century Al-Fahidi Fort, possibly the oldest building in Dubai, and once the seat of government and the residence of Dubai’s rulers. The museum has a small fishing boat, a traditional weapons display and a barasti house with wind-tower. Much of the air-conditioned museum is thankfully underground. There’s an excellent multimedia presentation covering the city’s history and growth that gives a real understanding of how rapidly Dubai has developed. Then there are a series of cutesy dioramas of old Dubai life, supported by video, sound effects and disturbingly lifelike mannequins. A highlight for many is the complete grave from the Al-Qusais archaeological site and finds from digs at Al-Qusais (dating back to early 2500 to 500 BC) and Jumeirah (6th century AD). Alldisplays in the museum have explanations in Arabic and English. Photography is not officially permitted.
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HISTORY
Year 1799 marked the building of Al Fahidi Fort. It was built against foreign invasion. This splendid fort is now Dubai Museum. Therefore, allowing visitors to peep into the rich culture and heritage of Dubai. The entrance of Dubai Museum is marked with a great collection of old maps exhibiting urban expansion of Dubai in the year 1960 to 1980. Dubai Museum offers a unique trip to desert life, traditional Arabian homes, mosques, fishing, pearl diving and trade. Major highlights of Dubai Museum are artifacts from excavated graves, musical instruments. Deadly weapons also form the major part of Dubai Museum, such as swords, spears, bows, arrows, shields, pistols and axes.
So, what are you waiting for? Get ready for an exciting trip to Dubai Museum and make your Dubai tour a remarkable experience!
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The Jumeirah Mosque The most impressive views of Jumeirah Mosque are those you get when you first approach the beautiful building. The first glance is the most affecting. The strong expression of Islamic architecture conveyed through the mosque’s design leans toward a modern style of Islam blueprints. Jumeirah Mosque Dubai is also characterized by a traditional pattern incorporated into the building known as the Fatimid heritage. It’s one of the largest of all mosques in Dubai making it one of the biggest and most photographed of all city attractions. It’s also near famous Jumeirah Beach close to many Dubai resorts.
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HISTORY Inside the mosque Muslims pray toward the Quibla wall inside Jumeirah Mosque Dubai. This wall always faces toward Mecca and is always the direction Muslims pray. The holiest location inside the mosque lies in the center of the prayer wall or Quibla and is called the Mihrab. This spot indicates which direction Mecca lies instructing the exact direction to pray toward. The third most important facet of Jumeirah Mosque Dubai is the Minbar. The Minbar sits on the right of the Mihrab. It is where the prayer leader, or imam, pronounces the holy Friday sermon. Fridays remain the most important day for Islamic prayer thus the absence of any organized tours.
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Hotels Dubai Features some of the worlds most unique architecture. With a focus on business and tourism, the city is ramping up construction on a massive scale. Dubai has some the most luxurious hotels in the world. This includes the worlds only seven star hotel, The Burj Al Arab. Dubai also features some massive hotels, like the Emirate Towers which is one of the tallest buildings in the world. Dubai also offers some amazing coastal hotels, like the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, which is designed to mimic a sail of a boat.
The Jumeirah Beach Hotel Jumeirah Beach Hotel’s dynamic shaped 26 storey curved design was intrinsic to being different, stylish and unique as well as making a strong statement about where Dubai was going in the future. Built in the shape of a breaking wave, the building stands 93 metres high and 275 metres long. The history of our fabulous hotel draws back during the days of Chicago Beach Hotel. Located at the end of the Jumeirah Beach Road with very few developments around the area, the hotel was considered to be “out of town”. Chicago Beach Hotel was popular with tourists in the 1980’s and 1990’s offering resort style accommodation and guaranteed sunshine. It was ahead of its time in offering resort holidays and Chicago Beach Hotel is said to have paved the way for the tourist industry in Dubai.
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HOTELS
Today Jumeirah Beach Hotel have been built on the same site. The exterior of the hotel was constructed from aluminum and blue plated glass, giving it an almost surreal, cool fluidity. By contrast the interior of our hotel draws upon the four elements of nature: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Each element is represented by a color scheme that divides the hotel into four different levels: soothing blues and greens for Water, homely browns and reds for Earth, relaxing blues and white for Air and striking reds and yellows depicting a vibrant sun. The theme of nature’s four elements is carried throughout the bedrooms and corridors, culminating in the Atrium, which features a 90-meter high wall sculpture.
AWARDS
Best Hotel in the Middle East, Business Traveller Award 2009 Top Hotel in the Middle East, Condé Nast Traveler Award 2009 Best Hotel in the Middle East, Virgin Holidays UK Award 2009 Jumeirah wins major travel awards in the US and Europe Dubai, 24 January 2010: Jumeirah Group, the Dubaibased luxury hospitality company and a member of Dubai Holding, has received four further awards from the travel industry.
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The emirate HE emirates Tower’s towers
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The tower has a total structural height of 354.6 M. (1,163 ft.) and roof height of 311 M. (1,020 ft.), making it the 19th-tallest building in the world.
Jumeirah Emirates Towers located on Sheikh Zayed Road is in the centre of Dubai’s commercial business district and stands as a highly visible statement of the region’s corporate success. Two equilateral triangles are architectural icons one of their kind in Dubai.
HOTELS
A sleek architectural masterpiece of steel and glass, Jumeirah Emirates Towers redefines the business hotel category, seamlessly combining form with function, high technology with unparalleled luxury and elegance with efficiency.
AWARDS Winner of the 2009 Corporate Social Responsibility Arabia Award for Large Companies.
2009 Awards
Business Traveller UK Awards Best Business Hotel in the Middle East
Business Traveller Magazine Middle East
Best Business Hotel in the Middle East
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The Burj Al Arab Situated around 100 metres from the Souk Madinat Jumeirah and around 5 kilometers from the Palm Island, Burj Al Arab is linked from its mock island to the Dubai main land through a private bridge. Standing 1050 ft. above the sea level, Burj al Arab is the world’s second tallest building solely operated as a hotel. Lavishly decorated in bold stones, the hotel offers an indoor and outdoor swimming pool; swim up bar, private beach, h e a l t h s p a and massage treatment rooms, steam room, fitness equipment, library, hair salon and
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Burj Al Arab serves excellent pan-Asian cuisine. Al Muntaha is one of the famous restaurants inside the hotel. Its seafood restaurant, Al Mahara can be reached through a submarine. The journey can be enjoyed with an admirable view of a large seawater aquarium made of
HOTELS
a pool table. There is an amphitheater on the 27th floor of the hotel. There are also well furnished meeting and conference rooms on the 27th floor. In addition to this Burj Al Arab also provides a complimentary wireless internet connection and computer rentals. Transport to the airport via helicopter or limousine can be arranged.
acrylic glass. Also the restaurant’s cocktail bar provides a panoramic view of the Jumeirah Beach Shoreline. There are around 202 air-conditioned guest rooms stretched across the 27 floors of the hotel. Adorned with vibrant tones, Burj Al Arab provides separate living areas inside each and every room.
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Leisure Dubai is home to an array of sporting events and activities. There is something to do for everyone. Dubai is situated in between coastline and desert. This offers a wide variety of unique activities. The desert offers safari adventures and sporting activities that include dirt biking, sand surfing and four wheeling. You can also visit the coastline for a more tropical environment. The beach offers more water parks and activities that include surfing, boating and swimming. If you want to escape the heat, Dubai offers an indoor ski park. You can learn to ski or enjoy sledding or tubing.
Ski Dubai Skiing is one of the most popular winter sports, providing enjoyment and fun for all ages. Gliding through the soft snow is pure excitement and an unforgettable experience. From the first time you slide timidly down our beginner slope to the moment when you tackle a more advanced run, you’ll feel part of the action and enjoy the thrill of skiing. Learning to ski is fun and a real social experience. After you have had some instruction, you’ll want to get out on the slopes as often as possible with your friends and family or maybe just on your own to unwind 22 DUBAI
LEISURE from a busy day. It’s a continuous learning curve where you are improving every time you’re on the slope. Ski Dubai offers 5 different runs which vary in difficulty, from the beginner slope to more advanced runs. Our professional instructors are available for lessons to lead you step by step to becoming a confident skier and enjoying the great experience.
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WILD WADI PARK Open sesame! Awesome enjoyment, eagle-eyed lifeguards, themed around the adventures of Sinbad, Flood River Flyer, splashy attractions, Summit Surge, diving down, twists and turns, adrenalin rush, Master Blasters, Flow Riders, packed with action, go on I dare you, thrills and spills, high-powered jets, aquatic roller coaster, gravity-defying, Rush down Ravine, white-
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LEISURE
knuckle rides, Tunnel of Doom, expect the unexpected, plunge into the Lazy River and lie back and relax at 80kph, thunder & lightning, choreographed flash flood.
12 acres of liquid fun 420 highly trained lifeguards 30 adrenalin pumping rides & attractions Themed around the legend of Juha & Sinbad Dubai Quality Award Gold accreditation status
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Desert Safari Travel from Dubai in a 4x4 vehicle, camel or jeep and journey through a variety of terrain on your way to Hatta. View spectacular scenery across undulating desert and rocky mountain passes. Your first stop of the day is at the Hatta Heritage Village where you can learn more about the mountain village which dates back to the 16th century. The town lies on the banks of the Hatta Wadi (dry river beds), which then winds through the mountains revealing lush green oasis and refreshing water pools amongst the deep clefts in the rocks.
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LEISURE
Spend some time before lunch to view the panorama landscape of the Hatta rock pools. Depending on the rainfall and season, you may want to take the opportunity to cool off in the refreshing turquoise pools before enjoying a picnic lunch under the shade of palm trees. After lunch the your drive continues across the majestic red sand dunes before returning to Dubai. As the sun descends into the horizon, we stop to allow you to take sunset photographs, while standing on top of the fading desert dunes.
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Index Resources IABUD taken from: http://www.dubai.com/hotels/
http://www.dubai.com/hotels/hotel/172396/ burj-al-arab/ Š Jumeirah International LLC 2008 - 2009. All rights reserved. Š 2010 Lonely Planet. http://www.viator.com/tours/Dubai/4x4-HattaSafari-Mountain-Springs/d828-2168DXB009 http://www.skidxb.com/home/ski-dubaiexperience/skiing.aspx
Images Getty Images Flickr Original artwork created by Benjamin Weiss
This information is used for educational purposes only and not for sale.
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