Dubai is the most populous city in the UAE and the capital of the emirate of the same name. It is the Middle East’s largest commercial, financial, and tourist center. The grandiose metropolis grew up on the site of a small fishing village founded in the XVIII century. Huge skyscrapers, fashionable hotels, resorts, restaurants, and stores have appeared where once sand dunes were.
Dubai is divided into nine sectors (Al-Qiṭā 1-9), consisting of communities or administrative areas, which count 226. Not all of them are interesting and safe for tourists. In addition to the fashionable districts with upscale hotels, there are many poor neighborhoods inhabited by Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. We will describe the most popular parts of Dubai and give you the best places to stay so you can easily reach the beaches, shopping malls, and attractions.
Downtown Dubai is the largest construction project in the emirate. It is a prestigious business district with offices of the largest companies, banks, shopping malls, luxury hotels, expensive restaurants, and huge skyscrapers. One of them, Burj Khalifa, is the highest building in the world. The grand tower has 163 floors, and its height is 828 meters. There is an observation deck At The Top SKY on the 148th floor, which offers a stunning panorama of the city. The highest panoramic restaurant in the world, At.mosphere, is located on the 122nd floor. There is a strict dress code and a high average bill here so not everyone can book a table.
Burj Khalifa is not the only world record holder of Downtown Dubai. Another of its iconic landmarks is the largest shopping and entertainment complex in the world, Dubai Mall. There is an aquarium (Aquarium of the Dubai Mall) included in the Guinness Book of Records as the tank with the largest panoramic view panel. Another thing next to the mall, in the artificial Burj Khalifa Lake, is the world’s tallest dancing fountain (The Dubai Fountain). The main cultural site in the city, the Dubai Opera, is nearby.
Living in Downtown Dubai is very expensive. Even in the summer, during the low season, you must pay at least 200 AED per night at the cheapest hotel. The choice of hotels here is small, and the distance to the nearest beach is 23 km. But all the tourist attractions that many tourists come to Dubai for are within walking distance. In addition, the transport infrastructure is well developed here.
Jumeirah is an elite suburban area of Dubai, famous for its beautiful beaches, fashionable apartments, luxurious mansions, prestigious restaurants, art galleries, and shopping malls. It is home to the only seven-star hotel in the world, the Burj Al Arab. It was built in the form of a giant sail, and gold, precious stones, and rare materials were used for its interior decoration.
Tourists are attracted to Jumeirah by its excellent beaches — Jumeirah Beach, Jumeirah Beach Park, Palm Beach Jumeirah, and Jumeirah Beach Residence. Connoisseurs of Arabian architecture will be delighted by the Jumeirah Mosque, which is a must-visit. Those who come to vacation with children will love the Wild Wadi water park, located next to the Burj Al Arab hotel.
Palm Jumeirah is the world’s first artificial island, which has become one of the symbols of Dubai. It is made in the form of a date palm, consisting of a “trunk” and 16 “branches” symmetrically placed on either side of it. An 11-kilometer breakwater surrounds Palm Jumeirah in the form of a crescent. The island is connected to the mainland by a 300-meter-long bridge, and the “palm” is connected to the breakwater by an underwater tunnel. Palm Jumeirah has luxury private villas with their beaches, shopping centers, entertainment areas, cafes, restaurants, stores, and luxury hotels. Atlantis is the most famous among them.
Accommodation in Palma Jumeirah is not for everyone. But everyone can visit the island’s tourist attractions, including those in the hotels. You just need to buy a ticket for the monorail, which leaves from Palm Gateway station on the mainland. It takes you to the Golden Mile Galleria, Nakheel Mall, and The Palm Tower. Atlantis Hotel has a huge water park, Aquaventure, with many attractions, Dolphin Bay Dolphinarium, and The Lost Chambers Aquarium.
Bur Dubai is a historic district on the left bank of the Dubai Creek Canal. It is a completely different Dubai without skyscrapers and luxury, but with a characteristic of the East narrow streets, built with low houses, shops, family workshops, and small cafes. If you are on a limited budget for a trip, it is better to stay in Bur Dubai, which offers many budget hotels.
Bur Dubai is famous for its historical sites. Here you will find the Bastakiya area with its picturesque architecture, the Grand Mosque Dubai with its tallest minaret, the only Hindu temple in the country, and the Al Boom cultural and ethnographic village. Other must-see attractions include Dubai Museum at Al Fahidi Fort, Dubai Heritage Village, Dubai Dolphinarium, and Al Boom Tourist Village.
Dubai Marina is an upscale new neighborhood built with skyscrapers interspersed with green oases. It is better to go here for those who are dreaming of a hotel within walking distance of the beach. You should consider that living there will be much more expensive than in Bur Dubai. Dubai Marina has an excellent infrastructure. There are many stores, restaurants, children’s complexes, and entertainment centers. The Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) located in this area is considered one of the best in the UAE. There are no historical and cultural attractions but plenty of entertainment venues. They include the world’s largest air AquaFun, children’s Splash Pad play park on the JBR beach, and XLine zipline. The company Skydive Dubai offers extreme skydiving from a height of 4000 meters. You can walk along the Dubai Marina Walk along the Gulf coast in the evening or book a boat ride.
Deira is another historic district of Dubai, located on the right bank of the Dubai Creek Canal. There is a surprisingly harmonious mix of antiquity and modernity. There are many inexpensive hotels in Deira, but their comfort level is lower than in Bur Dubai. The population of this area is natives of Pakistan and India.
Deira is a shopper’s paradise. It has the most colorful Dubai markets — Murshid Souk, Spice Souk, Deira Covered Souk, and Gold Souk. The Fish Market is the place to be in the morning when the fishers bring in their fresh catches. The best place to buy local textiles is the Naif Souk indoor market. Some perfume stores along Souk Deira, Al Soor, and Sikkat al Khail offer traditional Arabic perfumes and international brands. The Deira area includes the Heritage House Ethnographic Museum, the Deira Clocktower, the Women’s Museum, and the Dhow Wharfage, where you can hire a boat for a trip along the Dubai Creek Canal.
There are no skyscrapers, beaches, or architectural landmarks in Al Barsha. But there is inexpensive housing, good stores, and restaurants, and the metro is an easy commute to Downtown Dubai. Al Barsha has one of the largest shopping malls in the world, the Mall of Emirates. It offers tourists unusual entertainment — skiing in one of the hottest countries in the world. The first in the Middle East indoor ski complex Ski Dubai was opened in the mall. There is real snow all year round, and penguins walk around on the slopes of the artificial mountains. Al Barsha also boasts one of the coziest parks in the city. Al Barsha Pond Park. This is a quiet green oasis in the middle of a bustling metropolis. Here you can walk in the shade of huge palm trees and relax on the bank of a large pond.
Jebel Ali is an industrial area of Dubai located on its western border. In the late 1970s, work started here on the creation of the largest artificial harbor in the history of humanity. The project Jebel Ali is not fully implemented as the development of the bulk island Jebel Ali Palm has been suspended. There is now a popular resort complex, Jebel Ali Golf Resort & SPA, which includes two five-star hotels — Jebel Ali Palm Tree Court & SPA and JA Beach Hotel. If you need cheaper accommodation, you can easily find it, but it is recommended to book 2-4 weeks before the trip.
The main attraction of Jebel Ali is a family entertainment complex Dubai Parks and Resorts. It consists of three theme parks — Motiongate Dubai, Bollywood Parks Dubai, and Legoland Dubai, and there is also Legoland Water Park. There are over 100 indoor and outdoor attractions within the complex. Another must-see is the only Ibn Battuta Mall in the world. Each of its sectors is dedicated to one of the countries the Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta visited.
The Oud Metha area is predominantly residential neighborhoods and hotel complexes, where you can rent comfortable accommodations at a low cost. The most popular tourist attraction is the grandiose Wafi City complex. It includes Wafi Mall, decorated in the ancient Egyptian style, a five-star Raffles Dubai Hotel, restaurants, a SPA center, cinema, and nightclub. Wafi City also includes one of the most expensive entertainment centers in the city, Encounter Zone. The area of Oud Metha is home to Dubai Healthcare City, a multidisciplinary medical center specializing in musculoskeletal disorders.
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Imkaan Real Estate is a young and promising company with experienced specialists. We specialize in finding the perfect home or investment property in Dubai. Your dream home is waiting for you.
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Imkaan Real Estate is a real estate company based in Dubai, UAE. They specialize in helping people find the perfect home or investment property, ranging from luxury apartments to spacious villas.
ASPIN TOWER, Office no-4302-C
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
