Sheikh Mohammed tells Dubai and Abu Dhabi doubters to shut up
In an unusually frank and forthright outburst, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister of the UAE, dismissed concerns of a rift between Abu Dhabi and Dubai and insisted that Dubai was well placed to recover from the global credit crunch.
Dubai has been hit hard by the global recession which [...]
Sport, music and cinema
Music and cinema
Because of the large Asian and Western contingents in Dubai, both Bollywood and Hollywood movies are popular and there are many modern, air-conditioned cinemas to choose from. The city also hosts the annual Dubai International Film Festival, which attracts celebrities from around the globe.
Dubai also has a lively music scene, with artists from [...]
Restaurants and alcohol
Restaurants
Dubai is home to some genuinely world class restaurants.
Obviously Arab food is available everywhere in the city, but the diversity of the population is also reflected in the diversity of cuisine available in Dubai.
In addition to traditional fare, South Asian and Chinese food is widely available, as is fast food such as burgers and pizza.
Despite [...]
Regular events in Dubai
In addition to major public holidays such as National Day which falls on the second of December every year and celebrates the formation of the United Arab Emirates, and Eid al Fitr which falls on a different date each year and marks the end of Ramadan, Dubai regularly hosts a number of special events.
Each year [...]
Natural disasters in Dubai
Unlike much of the Middle East, Dubai is in a very stable zone.
The nearest seismic fault line is the Zargos Fault which lies 120 km from the UAE and is unlikely to have any seismic impact on Dubai.
The possibility of a tsunami in the region is also minimal as the waters of the Persian Gulf [...]