Description
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates known for luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture and a lively nightlife scene.
However, unlike many other densely populated countries, Singapore - with more than 50% of its area covered by greenery and with over 50 major parks and 4 nature reserves - is an enchanting garden city.
Large self-contained residential towns have mushroomed all over the island, around the clean and modern city centre.
The centre of the city is located in the south — consisting roughly of the Orchard Road shopping area, the Riverside, the new Marina Bay area and also the skyscraper-filled Shenton way financial district known, in acronym-loving Singapore, as the CBD (Central Business District).
- Burj Khalifa — Dubai's landmark building is the Burj Khalifa, which at 829.8 meters is the tallest building in the world and the most famous of the city's points of interest.
- Dubai Mall — Dubai Mall is the city's premier mall and provides entry to the Burj Khalifa as well as the Dubai Aquarium.
- Dubai Museum — Dubai's excellent museum is housed in the Al-Fahidi Fort, built in 1787 to defend Dubai Creek.
- Bastakia (Old Dubai) — The Bastakia Quarter (sometimes also called Al-Fahidi neighborhood) was built in the late 19th century to be the home of wealthy Persian merchants who dealt mainly in pearls and textiles, and were lured to Dubai because of the tax-free trading and access to Dubai Creek.
- Sheikh Saeed Al-Maktoum House — Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum was the Ruler of Dubai from 1921 to 1958 and grandfather to the current ruler. His former residence has been rebuilt and restored as a museum that is a fine example of Arabian architecture.
- Dubai Creek — Dubai Creek separates the city into two towns with Deira to the north and Bur Dubai to the south. The creek has been an influential element in the city's growth, first attracting settlers here to fish and pearl dive.
- Jumeirah Mosque — Jumeirah Mosque is considered by many to be the most beautiful of Dubai's mosques. An exact copy of Cairo's Al-Azhar Mosque that is eight times its size, the Jumeirah Mosque is a fine example of Islamic architecture.
- Deira — Deira lies on the northern bank of Dubai Creek, and the winding streets here unveil the melting pot of different nationalities that have come to call Dubai home.
- Sheikh Zayed Road — Sheikh Zayed Road is the main thoroughfare running through Dubai's modern downtown business district.
- Heritage and Diving Village— Dubai's architectural, cultural, and maritime heritage is showcased at the Heritage and Diving Village, with displays related to pearl diving and dhow building - two of old Dubai's historic economic mainstays.