Ski Dubai is the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East and offers an amazing snow setting to enjoy skiing, snowboarding and tobogganing, or just playing in the snow. Young or old, there is something for everyone, from the beginner to the snow sport enthusiast. Ski Dubai is a unique mountain-themed attraction that offers you the opportunity to enjoy real snow in Dubai all year round.

Cool Collection Of Ski Dubai Pictures-(Click on the Picture To Enlarge)

Although Dubai is a Muslim country it is probably the most liberal of all the Middle East countries and of the UAE Emirates also. Having said that, there are some faux-pas that need to be avoided in order not to offend the local populace! Reads through our travel tips

Dress

It is permitted to wear bikinis and normal swim wear on the beach however topless bathing is not permitted and thongs may also cause offense to the local populace. Whilst it is common for men to walk bare-chested on the promenades of Europe, it is frowned upon here so please respect the local customs and culture and ensure you comply with the local dress code. Short skirts and revealing tops will also attract attention so if this makes you uncomfortable, please dress accordingly.

Alcohol

Alcohol is permitted in Dubai and can be purchased at the Duty Free Shop on the way into the country. The limit for this is four bottles each per person. Alcohol cannot be purchased in supermarkets or liquor stores here unless you are a resident with an alcohol license. However, alcohol is readily available in all hotels, bars, nightclubs and restaurants affiliated with hotels.

Alcohol is not permitted to be consumed on the streets and there is a zero tolerance on drinking and driving. There are also some public holidays or periods of mourning where alcohol will not be served in public places. If this is important to you please check before booking your holiday if your dates are affected by these restrictions.

Drugs

Dubai also has a zero tolerance on drug offenses, either taking drugs or trafficking, with very strict consequences if caught. Please consider Dubai to be as stringent as other Asian countries (i.e. Thailand) and remember the ‘Bangkok Hilton’ Dubai equivalent is not the place to be spending your holiday and a lot longer, if caught.

Sex

Public displays of affection are to be avoided as they can cause offense. Homosexuality is also not permitted in any part of the UAE.

Illegal Imports

The following items are some of the forbidden imports to Dubai:-

· Firearms / dangerous weapons
· Religious propaganda
· Unstrung pearls except for personal use
· Raw seafood (only when visiting Dubai and/or Sharjah) or fruit and vegetables from cholera-infected areas.

Medical Tips

Ensure you are fully covered for medical treatment through your travel insurance. Although pharmacies readily provide medicines quite accessibly, (there is even Boots Chemist here now), treatment, hospitalization and evacuation can add up to a large amount. Hospitals are generally very well equipped however and there are specialists in all areas of medicine with many state of the art treatments available.

Visas

Please check with your local embassies for visa requirements. Whilst many nationalities can enter on a tourist visa for up to 60 days (correct at time of publication), some nationalities are not allowed entry without a valid visa on arrival.

Money

The local currency is the United Arab Emirates Dirham (UAE Dirham). There are now many UK banks in Dubai, Lloyds, HSBC etc, and all the local banks offer cash withdrawal facilities from ATM’s available in many hotels and malls. Please do not attempt money changing on the streets as this is not a recommended form of transaction due to the possibility of fraudulent notes being offered.

Driving

On a visit visa, you can drive on an International driving license, but this changes if you are a resident when you will need to apply for a Dubai driving license. Don’t drink and drive, ever. Penalties can range from large fines, to imprisonment and even lashings and deportation. If you have an accident, remain with your car in the exact place where the accident happened and call the police who will handle the accident in accordance with local laws.

It was along the Bur Dubai creek area that members of the Bani Yas tribe first settled in the 19th century, establishing the Al Maktoum dynasty in the city.

This Picture Taken in 1964. Click here To Watch The Picture in Full Size…..
It is very interesting to see the colour and bustle of the loading and unloading of dhows which still ply
ancient trade routes to places as distant as India and East Africa. The creek remained an important element in establishing the commercial position of Dubai, being the only port or harbor in the city. Dubai’s pearling industry, which formed the main sector of the city’s economy, was based primarily on expeditions in the creek, prior to the invention of cultured pearls in the 1930s.

Click here To Watch The Picture in Full Size…..
The creek’s initial inlet into mainland Dubai is along the Deira Corniche and Al Ras areas of eastern Dubai and along the Al Shindagha area of western Dubai. It then progresses south-eastward through the mainland, passing through Port Saeed and Dubai Creek Park. The creek’s natural ending is at the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from its origin at the Persian Gulf.

Click here To Watch The Picture in Full Size…..
An attractive way to view the Creek and the dhows is from an abra, one of the small water taxis which criss-cross the Creek from the souks of Deira to those on the Bur Dubai side. Boatmen will also take visitors on a fascinating hour-long trip from the abra embarkation points to the mouth of the Creek and inland to the Maktoum Bridge, passing on the way many of the city’s historic and modern
landmarks.

Click here To Watch The Picture in Full Size…..
At the inland end of the Creek is a large, shallow lagoon, now a wildlife sanctuary which has become a haven for migrating shore birds. Some 27,000 birds have been counted here at one time during the autumn migration. The most spectacular are the many Greater Flamingos which have made the Creek their permanent home.

Click here To Watch The Picture in Full Size…..
An extension of the creek has recently been approved. The extension, which is part of the Business Bay development, will bring the creek all the way around Bur Dubai and into the Persian Gulf. The expansion will initially add 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to the creek, which will eventually be increased to 12.2 kilometres (7.6 mi) by November 2010. The 10 km extension (which was nearly completed in late September 2007) costs Dhs. 484 million (US$ 132 million).

Click here To Watch The Picture in Full Size…..
Additionally, a new project consisting of seven islands known as The Lagoons was proposed to be built on Dubai Creek. The center piece of this project will the be Dubai Towers Dubai, a set of towers of which the tallest will top 400 metres (1,312 ft) while two others will exceed 300 metres (980 ft).

Some More Cool Collection Of Dubai Creek Pictures-(Click on the Picture To Enlarge)

Map Of Dubai Creek

View Larger Map

The Abras of Dubai Creek

Dubai Creek Development

Dubai Creek Abra Ride

The recent unveiling of a plethora of exciting new developments means that Dubai is well on track to achieve tourism targets of 15 million tourists per year by 2015.

Shows such as the recent Arabian Travel Market 2008, which opened to record crowds, provide the emirate with a platform to demonstrate its position as a leading destination for tourism by unveiling a series of awe-inspiring and pioneering new developments. Dubai is successfully diversifying its economy, and considerably increasing investment in infrastructure across a range of sectors pinpointed as crucial drivers in attracting visitors to the emirate.

Ian Scott, director of the UK and Ireland representative office of Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing, comments on the recent unveilings: “Dubai is a destination where you can expect the best, known for its ground-breaking projects the emirate continues to expand its globally acclaimed leisure and business facilities of superlative quality”.

Amongst these inspiring new developments are a number of high-profile and exciting hotel projects. In 2007 there were 452 hotels and apartments in the emirate, and this figure is set to further grow as new developments continue to fuel visitor demand. In tandem with this, room numbers are predicted to swell from 50,306 in 2007 to 63,317 by 2010. This massive growth is reflected in the emirate’s hotel annual occupancy levels which are among the highest in the world, at 84.4 per cent in 2007 and on course to dramatically increase in 2008.

Dubai is aiming to become the world’s leading family destination for the UK and Irish markets by the year 2012, with many new family-orientated projects in the pipeline. Dubailand, which will house 24 theme parks, will be one of the world’s largest leisure attractions covering three billion square feet and twice the size of Walt Disney World Florida. Dubailand’s attractions will include Legoland, opening 2011, The Restless Planet, a dinosaur theme park opening late 2008 and Dubai Sports City featuring large state of the art stadia and sports facilities, the first stage of which is already complete. The Dubailand development will also feature Universal Studios’ Universal City, as well as Six Flags and Marvel Entertainment theme parks.