Dubai City Information Center

Infinity Tower

2013-06-10T23:31:00.000-07:00

Infinity Tower is a 306 metres (1,004 ft) tall 80 storey supertall skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates by Cayan Real Estate Investment and Development. The tower is designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill SOM architectural group, the same group who built the Burj Khalifa also in Dubai and Trump Tower in Chicago. Upon its opening on June 10, 2013 the tower has became world's tallest high rise building with a twist of 90˚.Infinity tower is designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and its development is carried out by property development company CAYAN. Infinity tower's apartments are designed with wooden floors, marble counter tops, and kitchen fixtures. The tower also includes a five story parking garage behind it. The Infinity Tower will have house financing options available for those residents who may want to lease out their weekend or holiday condo. The rooms of the tower are designed in such a way that it won’t be affected by direct sunlight due to titanium metal panels on cast-in-place concrete columns aided with repetitive staggered screen panels to stop penetrating sunlight from disturbing the residents of the unit.

Shawarma

2013-06-08T15:43:00.002-07:00

Shawarma is the most available food item on almost all streets (and cheap!) in Dubai. It is the Arabic equivalent of the Burger. It is meat that has been cooked on a skewer and then cut into thin strips and placed into a kuhbus (pita) bread with vegetables and dressing. It costs about AED 5 ($1.30) for either the plain-jane variety or the more exotic Lebanese and Iranian varities. The Shawarma sold by Indian restaurants are arguably the cheapest.

Spice Souk

2013-06-08T15:37:00.002-07:00

Spice Souk— As above, not a mall, but a historic market that has been a part of Dubai since the origin of Dubai itself. Located at the mouth of the creek, it is not far from the Gold Souk, but has sadly declined a bit in recent years as supermarkets take over the spice trade. If you're actually shopping for spices, odds are you'll get better prices and quality with much less hassle at Carrefour. Both the Spice Souk and the Gold Souq are a rather hot and sweaty experience with limited air-conditioning, so wear appropriately cool, loose clothing if visiting in mid summer. Individual shops are air conditioned. Although regularly visited by tourists, none of the souks are considered a tourist area and as such modest dress should be worn to avoid causing offence or attracting unwanted attention.

Gold Souk

2013-06-08T15:36:00.003-07:00

Gold Souk— Not a mall, but a historic market that has been a part of Dubai since the origin of Dubai itself. Located at the mouth of the creek, it dazzles people by selling gold in large quantities and with little visible security. A must visit for shoppers and sightseers. Most of the gold is 22ct quality and quite expensive - although even here the shopkeepers are prepared to bargain - and the craftsmanship can be remarkably detailed. The gold items are sold by weight with a "making charge" added on top to cover the workmanship. It pays therefore, to go shopping armed with the current gold price and a knowledge of the making charges in order to hone the bargaining process. Many outlets are part of chains that also have branches in malls, so are generally reliable.

Wild Wadi Park

2013-06-08T15:28:00.002-07:00

Wild Wadi Park is the perfect place for the entire family to spend a day as well as being a great way to beat the heat and enjoy the day away from the bustle of the city. Located close to the hotels and resorts of Jumeriah Beach, the park has water rides, slides, and a lagoon that's hidden away. You'll enjoy waterfalls, out of the way swimming holes, and a tidal pool.

Camel Race Track

2013-06-08T15:21:00.000-07:00

The Camel Race Track is one of the more unusual attractions, with races being held on Thursday and Friday in the winter. Not only can you watch the races, but you'll have the opportunity to visit the paddocks. Vendors sell everything from beads to rugs and blankets, so you can purchase souvenirs. Madinat Jumeirah is also known as Jumeirah City, and is a complex of residential neighborhoods, two luxury hotels, and a shopping mall.

Al Safa Park

2013-06-08T15:17:00.002-07:00

Al Safa Park is one of the oldest in Dubai. It's a favorite for sports enthusiasts, and many visitors enjoy playing tennis, volleyball, and soccer. Children love playing games in the video arcade, or riding the ferris wheel and bumper cars. The park even has a maze to wander through. Barbeques and picnic areas are available for those who want to make a day of it.

Dubai Fountain

2013-06-08T15:14:00.002-07:00

The Dubai Fountain, at 270m (900ft) in length and sporting a jet that shoots water up to 150m (500 ft), the Dubai Fountain is indeed the world's largest dancing fountain and one with a very enticing display - a definite must see. The show starts every evening at the Burj Dubai Lake. Easy way to approach it is via the Dubai Mall.

Shows are every 30 minutes from 6pm to 10pm on weekdays and from 6pm to 11pm on weekends. It's the world’s largest dancing fountain with classical, Arabic and world music. About 1.5 million lumens of projected light and the spray heights of up to 150m/500 ft (22,000 gallons of airborne water).

Jebel Ali

2013-06-08T14:51:00.002-07:00

Jebel Ali is a port town, located 35 kilometers southwest of the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The village has a thriving expatriate community with over 300 residents. The area is also home to "5,500 companies from 120 countries". The Port of Jebel Ali is situated in Jebel Ali.In 1985, the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZ) was established. JAFZ, an industrial area surrounding the port, allows the international companies who relocate there to enjoy the special privileges of the free zone. These include exemption from corporate tax for fifteen years, no personal income tax, no import or export duties, no restriction on currency, and easy labor recruitment. Al Maktoum International Airport is being constructed just outside of the port area.Jebel Ali inched up to be world's 9th busiest port in 2011. It handled cargo of 13,010 TEUs.

Arabian Desert

2013-06-08T05:54:00.002-07:00

The Arabian Desert is located in Western Asia. It is a vast desert wilderness stretching from Yemen to the Persian Gulf and Oman to Jordan and Iraq. It occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula, with an area of 2,330,000 square kilometers (900,000 sq mi). At its centre is the Rub'al-Khali, one of the largest continuous bodies of sand in the world. Gazelles, oryx, sand cats, and spiny-tailed lizards are just some of the desert-adapted species that survive in this extreme environment, which features everything from red dunes to deadly quicksand. The climate is extremely dry, and temperatures oscillate between extreme heat and seasonal night time freezes. It is part of the Deserts and xeric shrublands biome and the Palearctic ecozone. This ecoregion holds little biodiversity, although a few endemic plants grow here. Many species, such as the striped hyena, jackal and honey badger have become extinct in this area due to hunting, human encroachment and habitat destruction. Other species have been successfully re-introduced, such as the sand gazelle, and are protected at a number of reserves. Overgrazing by livestock, off-road driving, and human destruction of habitat are the main threats to this desert ecoregion.

Jebel Ali Free Zone

2013-06-08T05:52:00.001-07:00

Jebel Ali Free Zone is a free economic zone located in the Jebel Ali area at the far western end of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, near Abu Dhabi. Created under an Emiri Decree, Jafza commenced operations in 1985 with standard size office units and warehouses to provide ready built facilities to customers. In 1990 Jafza expanded its facilities to include light industrial units.Jafza is served by the Jebel Ali station of the Dubai Metro.

Deira

2013-06-08T05:41:00.001-07:00

Deira is an area in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates bordered by the Persian Gulf, Sharjah and Dubai Creek. Historically, it has been the commercial center of Dubai, but has been losing its importance during the past few years due to recent development along E 11 road (Sheikh Zayed Road) and areas further down the coast toward Abu Dhabi. Port Saeed is a small port along Deira's shore of Dubai Creek. Port Saeed holds some of the dhow cruises and small shipping boats in Dubai. Deira has developed much since its early days with the development of both overhead and underground metro tracks, innumerable shopping malls springing up, and modern buildings and towers currently under construction within the area. Deira stands as an important port in the world. It certainly does have many landmarks, such as the Clock Tower, Maktoum Bridge etc., that are very worthy of seeing.

Dubai Marathon

2013-06-05T07:06:00.001-07:00

The Dubai Marathon (official name Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon) is an annual marathon running race held in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.The race is held in January each year, the first being run on 14 January 2000. In April 2007, it was announced that the 2008 race would become the world's richest long distance running event in history, with one million dollars offered for a world record and $250,000 for first place for both the men and women.The 2008 race was won by Haile Gebrselassie in a time of 2:04:53, making it the second fastest marathon of all time, but not fast enough to claim a world record and the million dollar prize.The 2012 edition proved to be one of the fastest finishing fields at that point: a record of four athletes ran under two hours and five minutes. Ayele Abshero won in a course record time of 2:04:23 hours, which was the fourth quickest on the all-time lists and the fastest time ever run by an athlete on their marathon debut. The other podium finishers also entered the all-time top ten: runner-up Dino Sefir became the eighth fastest man with 2:04:50 hours, while Markos Geneti became the ninth with 2:04:54 hours. Behind them, Jonathan Kiplimo Maiyo became the 13th fastest man with 2:04:56 hours and Tadese Tola became the 16th fastest with 2:05:10 hours.

The Beach

2013-06-03T01:30:00.002-07:00

The Beach at Jumeirah Beach Residence is a retail complex being constructed on the actual beach in front of JBR by Meraas Holding, a company owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The development, comprising four distinct plazas, will occupy the bulk of the beach between the Hilton and Sheraton hotels.

The complex will house a number of levels of parking as well as seventy retail and food and beverage outlets, together with entertainment facilities. Construction of the project began in the second half of 2012 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.

The Walk

2013-06-03T01:26:00.002-07:00

The Walk at Jumeirah Beach Residence is a 1.7 kilometer strip at the ground and plaza level of the Jumeirah Beach Residence complex in Dubai, it was developed by Dubai Properties Group, and was completed by 2007 and opened officially in August 2008. currently there are Around 330 occupants at The Walk, covering a wide range of services and venues, from a number of world renowned brands strewn across the stretch, to many franchised and local venues, including restaurants, clothing stores, boutiques, department stores, cafes and gyms, among many others, located over two levels Ground and Plaza.

The Walk is one of Dubai’s outdoor and tourist attractions, with activities such as street painting, recycled art displays, comedy shows, sand sculptures, photography displays, and booths selling fashion accessories and crafts. It is located adjacent to hotels, residences and the beach.

Dubai Marina

2013-06-03T01:25:00.000-07:00

Dubai Marina is a district in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Dubai Marina is an artificial canal city, carved along a two mile (3 km) stretch of Persian Gulf shoreline . When the entire development is complete, it will accommodate more than 120,000 people in residential towers and villas. It is located on Interchange 5 between Jebel Ali Port and the area which hosts Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, and the American University in Dubai.

The first phase of this project has been completed. Dubai Marina was inspired by and designed to model the highly successful Concord Pacific Place development along False Creek in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Dubai Marina is also one of the few places in Dubai where people from Western Europe form a majority. It is the most sought after locality in Dubai, registering more property searches than any other area in the UAE. Property listings of Dubai Marina apartments at Bayut.com indicate that Dubai Marina developments feature one of the most expensive properties in Dubai both in terms of sales and rental prices. These apartments were the first ones to shake off the recessional effects and enjoy progress in the UAE realty market.

Waterfront

2013-06-03T01:23:00.001-07:00

The Dubai Waterfront (now known as Waterfront) was expected to become the largest waterfront and largest man-made development in the world. The project is a conglomeration of canals and artificial archipelago; it would occupy the last remaining Persian Gulf coastline of Dubai, the most populous emirate of the United Arab Emirates. It was planned to consist of a series of zones with mixed use including commercial, residential, resort, and amenity areas. The vision of the project is "to create a world-class destination for residents, visitors and businesses in the world's fastest growing city".

Run by the Dubai Waterfront Company, the project is open to foreign investment with its real estate developer, Nakheel, owning a 51% stake.

Waterfront was being developed by Nakheel, one of the world’s largest privately held real estate developers. The artificial islands would be formed to resemble the most widely recognized symbol of Islam, the star and crescent. This would produce a shelter around the Palm Jebel Ali, one of the three Palm Islands, the largest artificial islands (shaped like palm trees) in the world also being constructed by Nakheel.

The Universe

2013-06-03T01:21:00.001-07:00

The Universe is a planned artificial archipelago in the shape of the Milky Way and Solar System, that would be built off the coast of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The project was announced in January 2008 by the developer Nakheel, which also built the Palm Islands and The World archipelago. It was stated to be completed sometime between 2023 and 2028, but as of 2009, the project has been placed on hold. The dredging companies Van Oord and Jan de Nul, the same companies used for the Palm Islands and The World,[citation needed] will create up to 3,000 hectares of land.

The Universe is to be located between the Palm Jumeirah, The World, the Jumeirah coast and the Palm Deira.

The World

2013-06-03T01:15:00.001-07:00

The World or World Islands is an artificial archipelago of various small islands constructed in the rough shape of a world map, located 4.0 kilometres (2.5 mi) off the coast of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The World islands are composed mainly of sand dredged from Dubai's shallow coastal waters, and are one of several artificial island developments in Dubai. The World's developer is Nakheel Properties, and the project was originally conceived by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai.

As of 2010, only a single island had any building on it, which was a show home - all the other projects having been cancelled or delayed due to the 2008 financial crisis. While the developer, Dubai government, and researchers from the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology deny it, a participant in a related law suit has alleged that the islands are sinking back into the sea.

Palm Islands

2013-06-03T01:13:00.001-07:00

The Palm Islands are an artificial archipelago (islands) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), off the coast in the Persian Gulf. Major commercial and residential infrastructure will be constructed by Nakheel Properties, a property developer in the UAE. The Belgian and Dutch dredging and marine contractors Jan De Nul and Van Oord, some of the world's specialists in land reclamation, were hired to complete construction. The islands are the Palm Jumeirah, the Palm Jebel Ali and the Palm Deira.

Each settlement will be in the shape of a palm tree, topped with a crescent. The settlements will have a large number of residential, leisure and entertainment centers. The Palm Islands will add 520 kilometers of beaches to the city of Dubai.

The first two islands will comprise approximately 100,000,000 cubic metres (3.5×109 cu ft) of rock and sand. The Palm Deira will be composed of approximately one billion cubic meters of rock and sand. All materials will be quarried in The UAE. Among the three islands, there will be over 100 luxury hotels, exclusive residential beach-side villas and apartments, marinas, water theme parks, restaurants, shopping malls, sports facilities and health spas.

The creation of the Palm Jumeirah began in June 2001. Shortly after, the Palm Jebel Ali was announced and reclamation work began. The Palm Deira is planned to have a surface area of 46.35 square kilometres (17.90 sq mi) and was announced for development in October 2004. Before the impact of the global credit crunch hit Dubai, construction was originally planned to take 10–15 years.

Two other artificial archipelagos, The World and The Universe, are located between the Palm Islands.

Atlantis, The Palm

2013-06-03T01:11:00.001-07:00

Atlantis, The Palm is a resort located on Dubai’s reclaimed artificial island Palm Jumeirah. It was the first resort to be built on the island and is based on the myth of Atlantis includes distinct Arabian elements. The resort opened on September 24, 2008 as a joint venture between Kerzner International Holdings Limited and Istithmar.

The resort has two accommodation wings, also referred to as the Royal Towers, consisting of the East and the West Tower, both linked together by the Royal Bridge Suite. The resort’s comprises 1,500 guestrooms and suites with private balconies and views over The Palm and the Persian Gulf. The Imperial Club has over 150 rooms and suites with exclusive services and a private club lounge and views of the Arabian Sea or The Palm and Dubai skyline.

The Royal Bridge Suite, spanning the Royal Towers, is 22 stories up with views of The Palm, Dubai and the Persian Gulf. The two Underwater Suites are each three stories high with views directly into the Ambassador Lagoon.

Fairmont Palm Hotel & Resort

2013-06-03T01:09:00.001-07:00

The Fairmont Palm Hotel & Resort is a five-star Hote located on the trunk of Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The hotel is located on world’s largest man-made island shaped in the form of a palm tree. The Fairmont Palm Hotel & Resort, will have views of the Persian Gulf and provide access to the Dubai Marina and business hubs such as Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City and Dubai Knowledge Village. The hotel will have 381 rooms and suites, including two presidential suites and a Fairmont Gold Lounge.

Palm Jumeirah

2013-06-03T01:07:00.001-07:00

The Palm Jumeirah is an artificial archipelago created using land reclamation by Nakheel, a company owned by the Dubai government in United Arab Emirates and was designed and developed by HHCP architects. It is one of three islands called the Palm Islands (Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira) which extend into the Persian Gulf, increasing Dubai’s shoreline by a total of 520 kilometres (320 mi). The Palm Jumeirah is the smallest and the original of three Palm Islands under development by Nakheel. It is located on the Jumeirah coastal area of the emirate of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Sabrina Terence Dubai

2013-06-03T00:42:00.001-07:00

Already as a teenager Sabrina discovered her passion for dance music. The legendary raves in the nineties and numerous club-events had an enormous impact on her.In the same days young Sabrina started a very succesful career as a model. This thrilling occupation brought her all around the world.Dance music remained a part of her life ever since. No matter whether she had a photo-shoot in Cape-Town or Dubai, it was electronic dance-music which was played in the bars and clubs where the fancy people go.

It was back in 2006 when Sabrina started as a DJ for herself: "As a model you spend much time in the areoplane. You better have some good music with you." On her laptop Sabrina made her own mixes to have some good music for travelling. On a private party a good friend of Sabrina listened to it by chance. He was soimpressed by her skills that he encouraged her to turn the tables professionally: "You've got the global flavour. You combine the coolness of model-business with the vibrant spirit of electronic dance-music."

Concerning her music-style Sabrina points out: "Of course, my sound is in between progressive- and electro-house. But other styles like Tech-Trance and Uplifting influence my sets too." But after all, Sabrina says, it all comes back to this: "I just love electronic dance-music which moves and cheers the people up all around the world. The main thing is to have an interaction with the people and to give them a good time."

For the future Sabrina has ambitious plans: So in first place i want to continue to play my records all over the world. No matter whether in a club or at a huge event as long as i feel the spirit of the crowd.

Dubai International Airport

2013-06-01T10:07:00.001-07:00

Dubai International Airport (IATA: DXB, ICAO: OMDB) is an international airport serving Dubai. It is a major airline hub in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai. It is situated in the Al Garhoud district, 4 km (2.5 mi) northeast of Dubai. The airport is operated by the Department of Civil Aviation and is the home base of Dubai's international airlines, Emirates, FlyDubai and Emirates SkyCargo; the Emirates hub is the largest airline hub in the Middle East; Emirates handles 65% of all passenger traffic, and accounts for 50% of all aircraft movements at the airport. Dubai Airport is also the base for low-cost carrier, Flydubai. The airport will become a secondary hub for Qantas in April 2013, after a major partnership was formed with Emirates. Qantas will use Dubai as the main stopover point for flights on travelling to Europe. As of September 2012, there are over 6,000 weekly flights operated by 130 airlines to over 220 destinations across every continent except Antarctica.