Dubai

United Arab Emirates

PPS-Delz@-Dubai 1 of 2

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…taking off to land at

The International Airport of Dubai, city that hosted an estimated 10,000,000 tourists in 2010, and has a fixed population of about 1,400,000 inhabitants, of which only

17% are Emiratis (citizens born in the Emirates). .

HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin

Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and

Prime Minister of the UAE, and absolute monarch of Dubai.

In this picture, HH the Sheikh and his second wife,  HRH Princess

Haya Bint Al Hussein –  daughter of

Jordan's king, and that publicly is the most known of his wives, walk out to inspect their horse on the

Second Day of Royal Ascot on June 18,

2008 in Ascot, England.

There are records of the existence of the city of Dubai for at least 150 years before the formation of the UAE, and the Emirate of Dubai is the second largest in the country and has been ruled by

the Al Maktoum dynasty since 1833.

Dubai is known worldwide for being an extremely modern and futurist city. And also famous for its grandiose works and strong tourist appeal as the Palm Islands, the The World archipelago, the Burj Al

Arab and Burj Khalifa building or, as it is most known, Burj Dubai …

The Palm Islands are located in the Persian Gulf and will add 520 kilometres of beaches to the city of Dubai. Each settlement will be in the shape of a palm tree, topped with a crescent, and will have a

large number of residential, leisure and entertainment centers.

Palm Islands are an artificial archipelago in the shape of palm trees. A daring project where only natural materials are used - sand and stone - and this is also a great attraction for tourism in Dubai.

With the three islands ready, Dubai will have 520 km of beach on its coast in the Gulf.

Palm Jumeirah is the smallest of three islands, with 5 km long and 5.5 wide. The first phase of development of this island gave rise to 4,000 homes, with all facing the sea.

Also composes the project, one of Trump hotels chain, the Palm Trump Hotel & Tower Dubai Tower, and the Atlantis Tower.

It is 321 m high, with rates ranging fromU.S.$ 2,500 (169 m2), andU.S.$ 18,000 for those that extend for almost 800 m² of pure luxury.The Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 meters from Jumeirah beach, and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge.The hotel offers 24-hour butler service to meet all your needs, including French water spraying in guests that are on the beach under the sun; a personal shopping assistant and, for the transfer, the car made available is a Rolls Royce, or a helicopter. In compensation  the smallest monetary fraction here is in the hundreds... Burj Al Arab Hotel

Besides much Carrara marble, Italian mosaics and Brazilian granite, in its interior were also used 1,800 m2 of 24 carat gold leaves.

In this suite, the tabletop of the center table is made with a cutting of very special Brazilian granite - "Blue Bahia ".

The Burj Al Arab Hotel offers all this refinement but imposes its demands: the guest should not wear jeans, T-shirts, shorts, slippers, tennis or sweater sweatshirt.

Housed in a suite at the Burj Al Arab, guests can forget about their bags - as soon as arrives, they now belong to a private butler, which comes to undo them. Then he dedicates to explain how functions

everything that can be commanded by remote control - including the butler himself. Also the opening and closing of doors and curtains, or monitor the door via the TV closed circuit system; ask for Almas

Iranian caviar; national dates; Chocopologie Truffle, or a pizza - but Arab ...

Highlighted in this luxurious bathroom is the Italian mosaic that decorates the wall above the edge of the Jacuzzi tub. In the so called “royal suites”, the bathroom overlooks the Persian Gulf and the butler

that prepares the bath "receives" the guest with caviar, champagne and strawberries.

Al Mahara - the most famous restaurant at Burj Al Arab Hotel. The access to it is via an elevator that simulates a submarine ride down to the level of this incredible restaurant, 60 meters

below the blue waters of the Persian Gulf.

The lavishness of the restaurant “Al Mahara “ is present, among other refinements, in the reflection of its tables on the ceiling crystal mirror, circling the aquarium decorated with a range of varied and beautiful corals.

Among the other seven restaurants in the Burj Al Arab Hotel, it is noteworthy the one projected out of the building’s construction structure, 200 m high, giving the feeling that you're suspended in midair.

The area occupied by this elegant and unusual architectural project is a temple of good Mediterranean cuisine, and is namedAl Muntaha

Comment from a habitue of “Al Muntaaha”: – “New Zealand Venison (medium rare) in Beet Jus. It was absolutely divine. The venison was so tender and juicy and the sweetness of the beet sauce

complimented the meat perfectly.”

What was designed and built to be a heliport at Burj Al Arab, transforms in an unusual tennis court, 212 m above the sea waves...

Another of the many highlight points of

Burj Arab Hotel is its Lobby –

the highest in the World.

The extravaganza encompasses

everything: in the reception, rose water

and dates await for the visitor.

When in Dubai, no tourist can skip visiting this Hotel, as did one

of the long lasting friends of mine, the

Brazilian Ana Maria Boucinhas.

Jumeirah Beach Hotel in sea wave shape complements the adjacent Burj Al Arab’s sail. Once the 9th largest hotel in town, it remains a Dubai landmark, although having lost its position in the

ranking for more than 100 bigger ones existing nowadays.

Stay some days in Dubai spending as if lodged 1001 nights do not discourage the tourist to enjoy a sunbath at Jumeirah Beach even paying at Dirham (Dhs) prices.

If it is a temptation "to cross the desert by camel”, a chance to perform at least one portion of this fantasy is well within reach: Dubai is located, all of it, just on the Arabian desert, and there’s no lack

of camels for rides.

Jumeirah was a fishing village; today it is a valued and desired residential area. Like the other islands, Jumeirah has luxury hotels, exclusive residential beaches, villas and apartments, marinas,

amusement parks, restaurants, shopping malls, sports centers and spas.

Located in the old quarter of Bastakiya, the Dubai Museum is installed in the oldest building in town - the Al Fahidi Fort, built in 1787. Its collection shows the development of Dubai from its founding until

today, and includes artifacts from 3,000 to 4,000 BC

And of course the museum ends with the retail shop...

Dubai Meydan Racecourse - complex with a marina, 5 stars hotel, 10 restaurants with the best international cuisine, parking lot for 10,000 cars, IMAX movie theater and a thematic museum.

Dubai World Cup 2010 - Sponsored by Emirates Airlines, paid US$ 10 million prize. The winner was Gloria de Campeão, Brazilian horse owned by the Haras Estrela Energy, and ridden by Tiago Pereira.

In Dubai not just in big prizes it comes to figures of millions of dollars: to purchase one of these unique watches, you need to dispose of US$ 2,600,000.00 to buy the one at left, and

US$ 2,500,000.00 for the one bearing the blue diamond.

Jewels and lots of goldsmith items dazzle the tourists in Dubai. The Gold Souk is located specifically in Deira, a little suburb of Dubai. It contains approximately 300 stores selling exotic gold jewelry.

Also the carpets... Whoever can go to the Middle East - the cradle of the art of weaving the finest and most beautiful carpets in the world - without bringing home at least a little one?

Ride by Dubai Creek in Amphibian Bus - The tourist board and, two hours later and without leaving it, will have crossed the waters of the canal at the Historical Center of Dubai. The American-made bus

fits 44 passengers.

Big Bus Tour - The bus stops at 20 major tourist destinations of Dubai. In audio or live, the guides present, in eight languages, attractions like the Dubai Museum, the gold souk, the popular commercial

district of Al Karama and Jumeirah Beach Park and 8 malls: Wafi, Burjuman, Deira City Centre, Mercato, Madinat Jumeirah, Mall of the Emirates, Times Square and Dubai Festival City.

Dubai Metro - Khalid bin Al Waleed Station

Shoppings Souk Al-Bahar and Dubai Mall - the latter is the largest shopping in the world – total area of 1,124,000 m² –, including 22 megaplex movie theaters, 160 snack bars, 120

restaurants, more than 1,200 stores, and also an ice skating rink, a theme park (SEGA Republic), and 14,000 parking spaces.

Both shoppings have views of the Burj Khalifa Fountain.

Chocopologie – A coffee shop in Dubai that is the dream of every chocoholic, especially the truffle lovers. Each one of the famous “Madeleines aux Truffes” costs US$ 272.00. According to the owner,

Yassine Benali, he sells the world's most expensive truffles.

The Dubai Mall has the Aquarium that was once the world's largest, with 33,000 aquatic animals in a 10 million liters of water tank.

 To visit this aquarium, there is a tunnel 48 meters long in full glass and, when one goes by it, in all directions there are sharks, stingrays, seahorses, and very beautiful and colorful fishes

swimming around.

A walk through the tunnel and you are instantly surrounded by over 30,000 marine animals. Your window into this world happens to be the worlds's largest Acrylic Panel,

which creates a surreal an intimate experience. Giant killer sharks swim just inches away, so close that you're convinced that you can reach out and touch them.

Next to the Aquarium, lies the Ocean School with large number of Amazon fishes, piranha tanks surrounded by artificial Amazonian vegetation, and all the sounds of the forest, so that the visitor has

the sensation of entering the Amazon rainforest. There are even Caiman crocodiles. For added authenticity, there are also rope bridges hanging in the trees, swaying like the originals in the jungles.

Who knows , feels as beeing in Brazil.

Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo has created a special exhibit that simulates the natural environment of the Gentoo Penguins with ice beds, water surfaces and the ambient temperature

regulated at 0º C. There are six Gentoo Penguins, three male and three female.

The Dubai Mall also offers an ice skating rink, a theme park - "SEGA Republic, 22 cinema theaters with megaplex screen, 160 coffee shops - some offering Arabic food, 120 restaurants,

more than 1,200 stores and 14,000 parking spaces.

The view looking East down Sheikh Zayed road. This is the Dubai financial and business center.

The Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) with the Logo Island right off the harbor mouth and the Palm Island in the background.

Dubai International Boat Show - one of the top five international boat shows in the world

Burj Khalifa – or Burj Dubai, has a system of 57 lifts of which only the few that operate at a speed of 11 m / sec stop at the floor, on top, and at the floors 43, 76 and 123 for transshipment.

During the day, the shadow of the 828 m high Tower over the city produces a gigantic sundial.

Only a few short years ago this photo would have been nothing but desert, but today Old Town Dubai can claim having the world’s tallest building.

Only from Burj Khalifa tower is it possible to unveil this scenario where you can observe the top of

the tallest buildings of the city above the clouds. To reach this height and so resist the force of the winds, the tower has funnel shape and asymmetric volumes; the format in "Y" creates a kind of three

wings in the building structure, all acting, from the building’s base, as buttresses to the other, reinforcing the secure stability of the construction.

Burj Khalifa Fountain – Fountain decorated with 1.5 million lights that synchronize with the music; its jets can reach 275 meter high, projecting more than 80,000 litters of water in

each exhibit session.

At night, dazzled tourists and residents proud of their city will delight in the beauty of Dubai Fountain that "dance" at the sound of pleasant songs, and where, provided you find a free table,

you can sit with a drink to celebrate the joy of have enjoyed another day in Dubai.

Images: All drawn from the Net with credits to their respective authors

Song: Arabic Belly Dance

Creation, research, compilation and formatting:

Delza Dias Ferreira delzadfer@hotmail.com

English Version: Flavio Musa de Freitas Guimarães www.culturesandart.com São Paulo, VI - 2011