Why Dubai?

Point Blank

By Hugh & Colleen Gantzer

"Why Dubai?" you ask. "Why should I, as a tourism professional, choose Dubai?" There are many reasons, as we found out during our visits to this great little Emirate in January this year and then again in April. For instance.

• It's a 21st century state gentled with old world Arabian graciousness
• It's the safest destination in the world and yet you can have the adrenaline highs of scuba diving, deep-sea fishing and hyper-exciting dune bashing.
• It offers the world's choicest wines and cuisine but you can also, drink camels' milk and eat dates as the Bedouins do.
• It has the world's best golf courses and the world's richest horse race but also camel racing, falconry and archery.
• It is linked by 102 airlines to 134 destinations worldwide but you can spend a lonely night in the desert with the wind whispering softly over the sand and the twinkle of crystal stars in the wide black sky above.

And if that's not enough, here are some more of the nitty gritty that might help you make a decision.

Overview

Dubai is a miracle in the desert. In three generations it has blossomed from small fishing village, on a narrow creek, to a first-world of glittering high-rises, unlimited power and a determination to become the tourism and commercial hub of the world. It already occupies that position in the Middle East or, as we often refer to the area, in 'West Asia'. It took the economists of the world more than 50 years to admit that tourism was a major economic activity, an industry in its own right. Dubai has gone one step further. It has realised that there is no distinction between tourism and commerce. If a holiday maker comes to a place seeking Rest and Recreation he will stay on to tap its commercial potential, if it appeals to him. Similarly, if a business-person comes in search of new markets, he will stay on for R&R if the facilities are what he's looking for. And since tourism is the only industry where the consumer comes to the product and the product does not have to be taken the consumer. Dubai uses tourism to promote and market its commercial offerings. It says, in effect: "Come to Dubai for our superb shopping, recreational and MICE facilities but do also stay on to examine our incredible real-estate projects like The Palms, The World, Festival City, and our state-of-the-art financial opportunities in our Free Zones, our International Financial Centre and our Metal and Commodities Market."

And that's all we are going to say about the commercial facets of Dubai. If you want to know more about these aspects of the Dubai phenomena, contact either Carl Vaz or Conrad Gomes at Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, (DTCM), Government of Dubai, 52, Bajaj Bhavan, 5th floor Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021, Tel: 022 22833497, email : dtcm in@dubaitourism.co.ae.

As you can see from the title of their office, the promotion of Tourism and Commerce are handled by a single organisation in far-seeing Dubai.

Getting There & Around

Before you fly into Dubai on any of those 100 plus airlines make sure you have a valid visa. The basic one is a visit visa and require the sponsorship of a UAE resident or any business or hotel licensed to operate in the UAE. It is valid for 14 days, renewable for a total of 90 days. There is a fee of Dirhams (Dhs) 100 plus Dhs 10 for delivery and a further fee of Dhs 500 for renewal. Business people who have entered the UAE on a Visit Visa could have it converted into a multiple entry visa valid for six months with a maximum duration of 30 days for each stay. A local or multinational sponsorship is necessary and the cost of this visa is Dhs 1,000. It is non-renewable. There are also other types of visas, which the DTCM could advise you about.

Dubai's Sheikh Rashid Terminal is impressive by any yardstick and its duty free attractions are legendary. Escalator, Travelators…those moving walkways…and elevators help passengers traverse its bright and seemingly endless corridors. They also have free buggles for senior citizens, women with children and the handicapped. Immigration is swift and effortless, luggage retrieval is easy if you take the trouble to find out the number of your belt, all luggage passes through an x-ray machine which we have found to be genuinely film-safe: we use 100-200 ASA film. Dubai Customs have never bothered us. If you allow between 45 minutes to an hour to get from the airport to the hotel, or back, you should be well in time, though it could take much less depending on the location of your hotel and the traffic. The roads are excellent, bordered with carpets of flowers, vehicles are driven at high speed and with great discipline, and on the right of the road. We found the services of Thrifty Car Rental's chauffeur driven cars to be impeccable Tel: 04-3370743, email thrifty@emirates.det.ae

Accommodation & Dining

There is an extremely wide range of 90 hotels from the iconic Burj Al Arab which is the ultimate in high status, and very expensive, luxury through more affordable accommodation. Our personal favourites are the Taj Palace Hotel and the Emirates Towers. The Taj is centrally located in the northern end of the town, Deira, and on the same side of the creek as the airport. Its rooms are spacious and we spent pleasant hours browsing in its neighbouring shop-lined streets when we had returned from our tours. We also attended a very lively New Year's Eve party here. The Emirates Towers are appreciably more glitzy and are on the up-market Sheikh Zayed Road on the eastern side of town, across the creek. Each room has a desk with an Internet connection and fax/printer with a dedicated number. We dined in its Italian, Far Eastern, Tex-Mex, Lebanese and Steak & Seafood restaurants and liked our experiences. Friends living in Dubai have spoken about the wide range of other international cuisine available in the town. For the down-to-earth food of the region we recommend a visit to any of the, oddly named, Automatic chain of restaurants. Their largely Lebanese food is strong on salads, grilled meats, local breads and is affordably priced. You can also opt for any of the pubs, bars and night clubs which often feature some of the best entertainers from Europe and the US.

Shopping

You do not have to wait for the Shopping Festival, or head for the airport to shop till you drop. Its major shopping malls are resplendent caverns of temptation. We did our obligatory gift shopping in Al Ghurair City, the Italianesque Mercato, and the enormous Deira City Centre. Though they have frequent special offers, you can't bargain in them. A certain amount of good-natured haggling is expected in the soukhs or bazaars like the Spice Soukh and the glittering Gold Soukh. If you are interested in 22 kt gold, ask for it. Visitors are often led to believe that the best deals can be had in the Karama area and it is possible that many visitors have been very lucky. Please remember, however, that Karama has the reputation of specialising in 'duplicate' goods.

Excursions & Adventures

The Hatta Fort Hotel spreads across its own, green, 80-acre oasis at the foot of the Hajar Mountains, an hour's drive from the city. We lived in a semi-detached cottage fragrant with jasmine creepers and its lawn alive with partridges, a peacock and sun-birds. We learnt clay pigeon shooting and archery, lunched on Arabian food and fine-dined on grilled guinea-fowl. This boutique hotel is popular with week-ending expats and their friends. We also enjoyed two dinner cruises on the creek in the catamaran Danat Dubai and on a dhow organised by Orient Tours, Tel: 04-2828238 email: local sales@orientours.co.ae.

The highlight of our excursions and adventures was an unforgettable Desert Safari run by SNTTA Emir Tours. Riding in a 4x4 Landmaster we raced up pyramids of sand, crab-scurried down the other side, did this over and over and over again, then entered a desert camp where a belly dancer entertained us near a camp-fire and we feasted on Arabian fare when the moon rose, cold and silvery, over the silent desert. It was quite unforgettable.

Other Essentials

We have not mentioned the City Tour taking in the restored buildings of old Dubai's Heritage Village, their excellent museum, amusement parks, beaches and the wide range of the city's MICE facilities. Though we have not seen it, we have been told that the Dubai International Exhibition Centre is connected, by a covered concourse, to the Dubai International Convention Centre. The latter can hold 11,000 delegates. This, combined with the Dubai World Trade Centre, offers more than 14,000 square meters of meeting and conference facilities.

"And why," you may ask, “should I choose Dubai for Meetings Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions?" For the answer to that very intelligent question, please read this article all over again.