Dubai Cruise Holiday Guide

GMT + 4.

UAE Dirham (Dh) = 100 fils.

Language

Arabic.

Dubai Creek is the main attraction with plenty of opportunities to get out on the water and there are good views of the city from many points along the creek. Gleaming skyscrapers dot the skyline, while the old trading dhows plough their way up and down the creek as they did a century ago. Another good way to get an idea of the layout of the city is from the observation deck of the Dubai World Trade Centre; rising 39 floors above the city, it offers stunning views of the city. At the inland end of the creek is a large, shallow lagoon, which has been spared from developers and preserved as a wildlife sanctuary. Further afield, Dubai offers sweeping deserts, where visitors can take a four-wheel drive tour, and the warm waters of the Arabian Gulf, which are a Mecca for watersports enthusiasts.

Electrical goods, textiles, pantaloons with embroidered anklets, dress lengths, gold, spices, carpets and Bedouin jewellery. Dubai is a shopper's paradise and shopping in the city is largely divided into two main types – the old souks in Deira and Dubai Souk in Bur Dubai, and the glossy new shopping malls around Beniyas Square, Al-Rigga and Al-Hiyafa Road. The Dubai Shopping Festival from late March to late April is a massive event with all the big stores and almost every shop in Dubai slashing prices in a month-long retail orgy.

Specialities of Arab cuisine include humus (chickpea and sesame paste), tabbouleh (bulghur wheat with mint and parsley), ghuzi (roast lamb with rice and nuts), warak enab (stuffed vine leaves) and koussa mashi (stuffed courgettes). In the Emirates makbous (spicy lamb with rice) and seafood with spicy rice are also popular. Local fruit and vegetables are increasingly available and there is excellent local fish.

Africa and Middle EastUnited Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates