Dubai is the most populated city of the United Arab Emirates with around 4 million people. The economy relies on trading, aviation, tourism, real estate, and oil although oil only makes up about 5%. Dubai was originally a fishing village and formed after tribal feuding, when members of the tribe seceded from Abu Dhabi. Dubai like many areas of the Arabian Peninsula was considered a British protectorate until the UAE formed in 1971. It is a city of many immigrants, many from Lebanon after the Lebanese civil war contributed to a large influx of people fleeing the country. Only about 15% of the population are UAE nationals and 85% of the immigrant community is Asian, half of which are Indian.
The Dubai Marina boasts countless restaurants and a beautiful path to stroll along.
The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world at 828 meters tall. It opened in 2010. It has 154 floors and another 9 maintenance floors above, although tourists can only visit the 124th and 125th floor. The design symbolizes a desert flower found in Dubai. The base of the Burj Khalifa is in the Dubai Mall, an expansive and gorgeous mall filled with high end shops and restaurants.
The Palm Jumeirah is a manmade palm tree shaped island along the coast. I found an aerial view of the island to highlight its beauty.
We took a sunset speedboat cruise around the Palm to see the Atlantis Hotel and The Burj Al Arab. The Burj Al Arab is a luxury hotel, considered the only “7 star hotel” in the world.
We have flown through Dubai countless times and it was so fun to finally explore the area!
Wow. That’s a lot of very tall buildings! Glad you got a chance to explore.
Wow Dubai is such a beautiful place.