Dubai is the largest and most prominent emirate of the federation of seven Middle Eastern states that make up the United Arab Emirates. This glittering ultra modern city which has a constantly changing and evolving landscape was originally an important port of call on the trade route between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. The emirate was also an important center for the pearl trade until the 1930's. This trade was destroyed by world events of that era namely the First World War and the Great Depression of 1929.

At that time the Sheikh of the ruling family of Dubai Rashid bin Saeed al-Maktoum decided to find an alternative for the loss of the pearl trade.He decided to exploit the strategic location of Dubai in the Persian Gulf and take advantage of its importance as a duty-free port. As a result of which much international trade began to pass through Dubai in the form of the re-export trade wherein products were imported cheaply into Dubai and then immediately exported from Dubai to other parts of the world. This trade was further facilitated by the dredging of the Dubai Creek in 1963 which rendered its harbor safe for any vessel.

However it was the discovery of oil in the emirate in 1966 which catapulted Dubai onto the world stage. The emirate's enlightened leader Sheikh Rashid seized this discovery to ensure Dubai's place in the world scenario. He then went on to make peace with the leaders of the other emirates namely Abu Dhabi with which Dubai had been involved in frequent border skirmishes and at the same time he decided to maintain the free nature of  Dubai's port in order to further facilitate its growth and success.

The city of Dubai today is an important and growing commercial center which is also an attractive tourism destination. The emirate is home to a progressive society which regularly  hosts world class international sporting events like the Barclays Dubai Open 2008  and the Dubai Desert Classic.  These tournaments attract all the big names from the world's sporting arena. It also hosts boat and horse races and one of the largest air shows in the world which attracts hordes of visitors to the Emirate – The Dubai Air Show .

 Tourists also flock to Dubai for its annual shopping bonanza called the Dubai Shopping Festival when all of Dubai goes on sale and there are myriad festivities planed to entertain and enthrall the tourists. The Dubai Summer Surprises is another decade old festival held in the summer months of July and August when the weather in the Emirates is not very agreeable.  The best time to visit Dubai is actually during the months of November to April when the heat in the emirate is not scorching as it is during the rest of the year. The warmest months in Dubai are usually the months of July and August when temperatures hover around 40°C.

The emirate has a festival or international event scheduled for almost every month of the year. The only time when the festivities grind to a halt is during the holy month of Ramadan when strict religious rules govern the acts of eating, drinking and smoking in public. The holy month of Ramadan varies from year to year according to the Muslim lunar calendar.

To cater to the large number of tourists that descend on Dubai for these festivals and events the emirate has a developed a world class infrastructure in the form of luxurious hotels, restaurants and shopping complexes. The most famous hotel in Dubai is the fantastically opulent Burj al Arab Hotel located on an artificial island adjacent to Dubai's famous Jumeirah beach. The hotel which is designed to resemble a billowing sail, has often been voted the best hotel in the world by travelers and industry professionals. The hotel soars to a height of 321 meters and dominates the emirate's coast line. However, it has lost its title of the world's tallest hotel to another Dubai hotel called Rose Tower or Rose Rotana Suites which opened for business in April 2008 and towers over the emirate from a height of 333 meters.

In addition to the many world class hotels, Dubai has also developed one of the best airlines in the world over the last twenty years. 'Emirates' is the flag ship carrier of Dubai which is today the seventh largest airline in the world. The airline has a young fleet and a rapidly expanding network; it currently serves 89 destinations in 55 countries.

Dubai, however is not all glitz and glam, the rapidly transforming emirate manages to retain some of its Arabic old world charm which can still be found in its many crowded souks and mosques. These remnants of a bygone era provide a contrast between the ultra modern and the traditional and add to the considerable allure of the emirate.

The city of Dubai is divided by the Dubai Creek; a natural sea water inlet into two main parts, the northern section of the city is called Deira while the southern section of the city is called Bur Dubai. Both sections of the city are exponents of this unique contrast of modernity and old world charm.

Major Attractions in Dubai

The Souks

Dubai's souks constitute a fascinating attraction, which should not to be missed on a visit to Dubai. These ancient, covered bustling market places were the center of trade for goods which were discharged at the docks from Dubai's port by Arabic shipping vessels which came from India, Ceylon, China and the Far East.

The souks can be easily accessed by public transport; in fact you can ride an abra or a small water taxi which will take you across to both sides of the creek if you wish to see the various souks located on both sides of the Dubai creek. Though the souks located in Deira are definitely more interesting than the ones located in Bur Dubai.

The most famous souk in Deira is the world renowned Gold Souk, which has many sparkling street front stores and various other alleyways where there are smaller stores. Many of these stores sell ornate Arabic and Indian influenced gold ornaments which are fit for a bride. Apart from gold ornaments, jewelry which features gems like diamonds, pearls, rubies and emeralds is also sold in the souk. Nowadays the Gold Souk faces much competition from yet another sparkling Dubai attraction in the form of the Gold and Diamond Park which is located on Sheikh Zayed Road.

Deira is also the location for the wonderfully aromatic Spice Souk which stands as testament to Dubai's important position as a center of world trade from ages past. Today however the spice trade in this souk seems to be dwindling as the spice vendors have give way to vendors of cheap imports from the Far East as all the supermarkets located in the emirate have begun to sell many of the spices which previously used to be sold only in the souk.

The Dubai Fish Souk is also located at Deira and is another fascinating attraction especially early in the morning and in the late evenings when the local fishermen bring in their catch. The catch is then is immediately sold in a bargain bazaar. Another souk worth visiting is the Textile soul located in Bur Dubai which is a treasure trove of fabrics and weaves from all over the world.

Bastakiya

The Bastakiya quarter of Bur Dubai has been earmarked as an historical attraction for it harks back to a time when the emirate was without electricity and air conditioning and the traditional courtyard houses of the emirate were cooled by wind towers which lined both sides of Dubai Creek.

The Dubai Museum

Housed in the imposing Al Faheidi Fort, the Dubai Museum was opened in 1971.This restored fort was built  in 1799 to protect Dubai from regional invasions The museum has an impressive collection of  weaponry and also has galleries that  depicts scenes from every day life in the emirate before the discovery of oil. These Galleries have displays consisting of  three dimensional exhibits which depict scenes from the Creek, traditional Arab homes and summer houses, mosques, souks, pearl diving centers and traders and date farms and desert and marine life so that visitors to the museum get a feel of  how life was in the emirate in the years gone by.

The Heritage and Diving Village

This is yet another historical attraction of Dubai where potters and weavers display their ancient crafts in an effort to recreate the ambience of Dubai of the ages past. The Heritage and Diving village is located in the area of Shindagha in Bur Dubai which is located at the mouth of the Dubai creek. The Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoun House is a museum which is also located in this complex and dates back to the 1800s when Dubai was ruled by this enlightened leader who put the emirate on the fast track to progress and modernity.

Jumeirah Mosque

The Jumeirah Mosque is a popular attraction of Dubai located in the suburb of Jumerirah which is renowned for its pristine beaches, luxury hotels and water parks. The Grand Mosque which was re built in 1998 is one of the few mosques in Dubai which allows entrance to non-Muslims. The mosque is a typical exponent of Islamic architecture and is adorned with  forty five small domes, nine large domes and the city's tallest minarets

Ski Dubai

Located within the Emirates Mall, Ski Dubai is the first indoor ski resort located in the Middle East. The resort is covered with real snow all through out the year and has five runs that cater to every level of ski enthusiast. The resort covers an area of 22,500 square meters and is temperature controlled to maintain a steady temperature of -1° to -2° throughout the year. Ski Dubai mimics an authentic ski resort as it is equipped with qualified ski instructors, ski lifts and snow patrols. The resort also encompasses retail shops, themed restaurants and a Snow Park where children can play in the snow.

Wild Wadi

This 12 acre water park located between the Burj Al Arab and Jumeraih Beach Park hotel is a recreation spot for all the family. The park has been designed to resemble an oasis called wadi in Arabic and it features 24 exciting rides and slides like the Jumerirah Sceirah   and the Master Blaster .

Shopping

Dubai due to its duty free status is a shopping heaven for tourists. The emirate has huge shopping malls like the Al Ghurair Center, the designer mall called Burjuman Center, Wafi Mall etc. Most of these malls are complete lifestyle and entertainment centers for all the family as they have cinemas and food courts in addition to stores that sell a plethora of products located within their folds. The newest mall on Dubai's shopping scene called Dubai Mall is set to open later this year.

The forward thinking and enlightened leadership of Dubai is now keen to promote the emirate as a center for art and culture in the Middle East as well. The emirate in recent times developed partnerships with the world's leading museums such as the Louvre and the Guggenheim museum and plans are afoot to create the Dubai Opera house on an island in the Dubai creek.

Dubai with its many attractions is truly a fascinating destination for the intrepid traveler.
Images of Dubai attractions originally posted on http://www.flickr.com by jonrawlinson,jensimon,keirn,robertpaulyoung,Andrey77,mamamusings,twocentsworth and kevin.