Dubai City Guide

This year during DSS 2009, Modhesh Fun City celebrates a decade of fun and entertainment by presenting to the world its newest, biggest and most awaited attraction known as the Modhesh World. The Modhesh World will aim to draw people of all ages little ones, teenagers and adults.

Previously known as Modhesh Fun City, it will now be greatly improved and will be known as the Modhesh World. The Modhesh World, will feature better entertainment, newer ideas, better innovations and marvelous shows. It is a great time for families to be together and enjoy!

The area of the Modhesh World is around 37,000 metres. The ticket fees for children will be AED 15.

On weekdays the Modhesh World will be open from 10 A.M to 10 P.M. On weekends it will be open from 10 A.M to 12 P.M.

Modhesh is the main theme of the DSS (Dubai Summer Surprises). The DSS is basically the counterpart of the DSF (Dubai Shopping Festival), that takes place during the winter usually, in the months of January and February. 

Some of the main events taking place during the DSS will be Kids Olympic Games, World of Stories, Arts Oasis, Kids Fashion Week and Photography Exhibition.

The Dubai Summer Surprises will start on June the 11th and will commence on August the 14th.

One of Dubai’s biggest business projects today is the Business Bay. The Business Bay is a “new city” currently under construction which is to be the new Central Business District of Dubai. The city will consist of tall skyscrapers some of which will be some of the tallest buildings in the world, targeting mostly commercial offices, however, will also accommodate residence. The Business Bay will be a part of the plan of cementing Dubai’s place as a business hub on an international level.

Previously most of the main CBD was around the Creek, however Dubai’s recent plans of development have led to the construction of this new CBD. This is a top class project as most of the large multinational organisations from all over the globe will have their headquarters situated in the Business Bay.

The Business Bay will be similar to Manhattan in New York.

The total area of the Business Bay will be 64 million square feet. The area will have a total of 230 towers, such as the Burj Al Alam, The Skyscraper, the Regal Tower, The Emirates Park Towers and the Bay Gate to name a few.

As Dubai has been attracting a great number of foreign investors, this is a big step in accommodating these large foreign companies by giving them the opportunity to set up offices in Dubai.

One of the tallest Twin Towers in the world are the Emirates Towers standing 1.163 feet and 1,014 feet tall, these are two of the most noticeable buildings on the Shaikh Zayed Road and add variety to the skyline. The Emirates Towers are a testimony to Dubai’s significance as a major business force.  One tower is a hotel and the other is a corporate office building. The hotel consists of 400 elegant rooms and suites. The Hotel offers a floor exclusive to women.

The Towers have 13 different restaurants. The Emirates Hotel is extremely classy and stylish and the service is remarkable. The location of the hotel is excellent for business meetings as it is situated near many of the Main Offices. In addition, it has several conference rooms to conduct meetings in. The Hotel has very recently been awarded at the Business Traveler Awards 2009 as the Best Business Hotel in Dubai and the Middle East.

Even though this is the ideal place for travelling businessmen, it is quite attractive for other tourists as well. There is a shopping mall that connects the two towers, which has many different cafes and restaurants. An addition, it is probably one of the few shopping malls in Dubai that serves alcohol. Rates start at $270.

The Madinat Jumeirah Resort is simply one of the most luxurious hotels in Dubai. Not only is it a resort, but it is a small city in itself. It contains 44 world class restaurants, traditional abras, a traditional souq, guest villas and a conference centre. The Madinat Jumeirah Resort is an Arab style resort. There is also a private beach which is 2 km long as well as beautiful pools, with lots of lifeguards. There is also a theatre for entertainment known as the First Group Theatre.

The Resort also provides a top-of-the class health centre, which includes fitness training for all adult visitors, as well as programs which include aqua aerobics and fencing. There are 292 luxurious hotels in the resort. The suites have amazing views and are designed with an Arab touch. If you wish to be treated like real royalty the hotel also offers the Premium Leisure club. This includes food all day, seperate dining lounges and free limo service.

All rooms in the hotel have free internet access. One of the best things I personally like about the hotel is that not only is it right next to the Wild Wadi Water Park, but it also provides complimentary passes to go there. The hotel also has a spa known as Talise Spa.

The hotel rates begin at $250.

Dubai is known for big things. The world’s biggest hotel, the world’s first man-made island, the world’s biggest mall and now the world’s tallest building known as the Burj Dubai. Construction for the building started in the year 2004 and is planned to commence later this year in 2009 in the month of September. The name “Burj Dubai” comes from the Arabic word burj meaning tower, thus Burj Dubai means Tower of Dubai. Currently this tower is the world’s tallest structure even though its incomplete. The height of the tower is still unconfirmed even though initially it was planned to be around 2,600 feet.

The architect of the Burj Dubai is Adrian Smith from Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. The lower 37 floors will be the first Armani Hotel (the first of its kind in the world).  64 of the floors will be residential apartments and the rest are to be corporate offices. The Burj Dubai will be located in the centre of the New City District (also known as the Business Bay). This area will be similar to New York’s Manhattan. The Burj Dubai will not only be the world’s tallest tower, but it will also have the world’s fastest elevator ever and will run at 60 feet per second.

The total budget of the project is around $4.1 billion.

If you ever come to Dubai, you simply must go to the Wild Wadi Water Park. The water park is on of the best places to enjoy and have fun. The park is located in Jumeirah and is quite close to the famous Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel. It is built around the theme of Juha a legendary figure from Arabian Folk culture.

The Wild Wadi Water Park has also appeared in the Amazing Race and the Amazing Race Asia. It has one of the largest water slides in the world.

There are different types of rides in the water park, such as, the Master Blaster rides, the Ring rides, and others such as Family Ride, FlowRider. etc.

The ticket price is AED 195 for adults (over 1.1 metres) and and AED 165 for children (under 1.1 metres). The park offers special rates for 10 visitors or more.

The park opens at 10 A.M all year round, but closes at different times at different parts of the year.  From Nov to Feb it closes at 6 P.M, from March to May it closes at 7 P.M, from June to August at 8 P.M and from September and October at 7 P.M.

This is one of the best places to chill out and have fun in the water if you’re ever in Dubai.

Every major city gives some significance to its history and holds great pride in its heritage, the city of Dubai is nothing less. Even though proof of Dubai’s existence can be traced in historical documents back to a few a hundred years, however, some artifacts found seem to be thousands of years old.

Dubai holds most of its history and heritage in what is possibly the oldest building in the city the Al Fahidi Fort, built in 1787. Within the Fahidi Fort is Dubai Museum. The Fort was used to defend the city against the attacks of tribes. The museum was officially opened on the 12th of May in the year 1971.

Besides the displaying the culture of traditional Dubai and capturing the time frame before the discovery of oil, showing how people lived their daily lives, the museum also has a souvenir shop where visitors can go and take a souvenir or buy a gift.

Dubai Museum is open all year round. The Entry fess is AED 3 for adults and AED 1 for children. The museum is open from Saturday to Thursday from 08.30 A.M to 07.30 P.M and on Fridays from 01.30 P.M to 07.30 PM. During Ramadan it opens from Saturday to Thursday from 09.00 A.M to 05.00 P.M and on Fridays from 02.00 P.M TO 05.00 P.M.

Dubai the city known for many great structures and buildings, amongst these megastructures is the Dubai Mall, the largest mall in the world with around 1,200 shops. It was opened formally only last year on the 9th of November 2008 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum at a grand ceremony. One of the main attractions in mall is the Dubai fountain, the tallest fountain in the world and shoots water up to 50 metres high. The Dubai Mall has also officially made it to the Guiness Book of World records with the Dubai Aquarium and Discovery Centre.

The Mall also appeals to those who may be interested in ice skating with its olympic sized Ice Rink, providing an environment of family fun and enjoyment. Another area that kids are sure to enjoy is the Kidzania, which is ideal for kids from the age of 4 to 15, with several different activities to choose from. In addition, soon to open are the Reel Cinemas, which provide movie goers with an amazing and entertaining experience. This will be the largest movie multiplex in Dubai with 22 screens.

This project was worth around 20 billion dollars and was designed by a team of top archeticts from all over the globe. The area of the mall is of around 50 international sized soccer fields. Dubai Mall is sure to attract thousands of people from all around the world.

The Mall is open from 10:00 to 22:00 from Sunday to Wednesday and 10:00 to 00:00 from Thursday to Saturday.

One of the Dubai’s most prestigious landmarks is the 5 star Jumeirah Beach Hotel. When it was built in the year 1997, it was one of the tallest buildings in Dubai. The magnificient wave fashioned structure elegantly flatters the prominent Burj Al Arab hotel, standing next to it. The Jumeirah Beach Hotel is situated in the Jumeirah Beach area and is around 25 kilometres away from the DIA (Dubai International Airport).

The Hotel has several different activities that visitors can enjoy. Below are some of them:

The Pavilion Sports Club

The sports club has many facilities for visitors who wish to enjoy fitness activities, such as yoga, BodyBalance and BodyCombat. There is also a gym with 60 equipment pieces. If you enjoy playing squash, there is a squash court for you to play. In addition the Sport Club also has a spa (my personal favorite), which has saunas, massage rooms, hot tubs, jacuzzi, plunge pool and a steam room.

Climbing Wall

You can have lots of fun while testing your climbing skills on one of the biggest climbing walls in the region. Doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or a seasoned climber, you’re definitely going to enjoy it. You will be assisted with professionals.

Water Sports

Are you the adventrous type? Do you like to have fun in the water? The Hotel offers a wide range of water sports such as, wind surfing, waterskiing and many more.

The Pavilion Dive Centre

How would you like to explore the exotic underwater world. You can enjoy these dives regardless of whether you’re a beginner or experienced diver. You will be assisted by trained and experienced professionals.

Sindbad’s Kids Club

Treat your kids to lots of great fun. The Sindbad’s Kids Club is open for kids of all ages. As a guest of Jumeirah Beach Hotel your kids receive a free pass. The club is open for 12 hours a day from 8 A.M to 8 P.M.

Today, Jumeirah Beach Hotel is one of the oldest and most presitigious hotels in Dubai and with so many different activities to keep you occupied and enjoy your experience in Dubai, its one of the best choices for you.

In the year 2011 one of the biggest campaigns in modern history is to take place. This objective of the campaign is to decide the seven natural wonders of the world and is to be organised by the New Open World Corporation. This campaign is known as the New7Wonders and Dubai is actually one of the favorites to host the main event of the campaign where the natural 7 wonders of the world are actually to be announced.

The New7Wonders will be decided through voting from all around the world. This is the second of campaign of its kind after the success of the New Seven Wonders of the World, which was a campaign to reinstate the concept of the seven wonders, which was also organised by the New Open World Corporation.  The first campaign got over 100 million votes from all over the world. The main event of the project is to take place in the year 2011. Voting has already begun in the beginning of 2009 and is to commence in July.

There is a strong sense of support for the U.A.E’s cities, both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, on the official website of the event. Dubai is being strongly considered as a potential city to host the event, according to one of the event’s representatives. This however is not a surprise as Dubai is growing rapidly, in terms of development and popularity. There are currently around 18 locations from all around the world in the bidding process to become the global hosts. This is a rare and unique opportunity to make a name in the pages of history for which ever city tat actually gets the rights to become the official hosts. If the event is hosted in Dubai, it will once again get the opportunity to reinstate its position as one of the hottest cities in the world