Dubai Sightseeing:
Dubai, the second largest of the seven emirates, is ruled by the al maktoum family. It occupies an area of approximately 3,900 kilometers, which is equivalent to 5 per cent of the country’s total area, excluding the islands.
Dubai city is built along the edge of a narrow 10-kilometre long, winding creek which divides the southern section of bur dubai, the city’s traditional heart, from the northern area of deira. Pearling and fishing were the main sources of income for the people of dubai. Under the wise leadership of its rulers, dubai’s focus on trade and industry transformed it into the leading trading port along the southern gulf.
The ruler’s office, together with many head offices of major companies, port rashid, the dubai world trade centre, customs, broadcasting stations and the postal authority are all situated in bur dubai. Deira is a thriving commercial centre containing a huge range of retail outlets, markets, hotels and dubai international airport. Bur dubai and deira are linked by al maktoum and al garhoud bridges, as well as al shindagha tunnel which passes under the creek.
Jebel ali, home of a huge man-made port, has the largest free-trade zone in arabia housing an ever growing list of international corporations which use the zone for both manufacturing and as a redistribution point. Jumeirah beach is a major tourism area with a number of spectacular award winning hotels and sports facilities. Inland, the mountain resort town of hatta is an extremely attractive location. Adjacent to a lake reservoir, the hatta fort hotel is set in extensive parkland and provides a perfect base for exploring the nearby wadis and mountains, which extend into omani territory.
Discover the new and old of dubai. Our route takes us to some of dubai’s beautiful landmarks. The most magnificent jumeirah mosque built in 1979 designed in the style of fatimi mosques in egypt. Stop jumeriah public beach, passing bay jumeirah beach hotel, and stop for photo at burj al arab the most luxurious hotel in the world. We continue our journey and pass by the sheikh’s mohamed palace, then take a short break by the creak to view the amazing architecture of deira towers. We then visit the fascinating underground dubai museum housed in the al fahidi fort, built in 1800 from sea rocks and gypsum to defend the city.
Sharjah:
Sharjah, which shares its southern border with dubai, is ruled by the al qasimi family. It is approximately 2,600 square kilometers which is equivalent to 3.3 per cent of the country’s total area, excluding the islands. Sharjah extends along approximately 16 kilometres of the uae’s gulf coastline and for more than 80 kilometres into the interior. In addition there are three enclaves belonging to sharjah situated on the east coast, bordering the gulf of oman. These are kalba, khor fakkan and dibba al-husn. In the nineteenth century the town of sharjah was the leading port in the lower gulf. Produce from the interior of oman, india and persia arrived there. Sharjah’s salt mines meant that salt constituted an important part of its export business, along with pearls.
The capital city of sharjah, which overlooks the arabian gulf, contains the main administrative and commercial centers together with an especially impressive array of cultural and traditional projects, including several museums. Distinctive landmarks are the two major covered souqs, reflecting Islamic design a number of recreational areas and public parks such as al jazeirah fun park and al buheirah corniche. The city is also notable for its numerous elegant mosques. Links with the outside world are provided by sharjah international airport and port khalid. The emirates of sharjah lies 15 minutes away fromdubai. We start our journey at the cultural square. Majahrah souq with its intricate mosaics and golden dome and popular with the local citizens. Al naboodah house (dhs5.00 entrance fee) 150-years old whereby you will see the original sharjah settlement and traditional coffee shop where you could try and have mint tea. Pass by majestic king faisal mosque, thepearlmonument, symbol of the uae federation, the fabulous blue souk, where more than 600 shops sell carpets, gold, silver, antiques, perfumes, clothes and many other goods. We then en route to ajman’s enchanting museum (dhs.5.00 entrance fee) – housed in an ancient fort and giving intriguing insights into lifestyles before changes brought by oil and return back to dubai.
Ajman:
Ajman is the smallest emirate, comprising only 260 square kilometers which is equivalent to 0.3 per cent of the country’s total area, excluding the islands. It is ruled by the al nuami family. Sheikh humaid bin rashid al nuami has been the ruler since 1981.
Ajman surrounded mostly by the emirate of sharjah and also possesses the small enclaves of manama and musfut in the hajar mountains. Along the creek dhow building was the specialized trade. Fishing and date-trees provided the local population with their primary means of sustenance.
The capital city, ajman, has an historic fort at its centre. This has been recently renovated and now houses a fascinating museum. In addition to the ruler’s office, various companies, banks and commercial centers, the emirate is also blessed with a natural harbor in which the port of ajman is situated. Masfut is an agricultural village located in the mountains 110 kilometers to the southeast of the city, while the manama area lies approximately 60 kilometers to the east
Umm Al Qaiwain:
Umm al qaiwain is second smallest emirate, with a total area of around 770 square kilometers. It is ruled by the al mualla family. The emirate of umm al qaiwain, which has a coastline stretching to 24 kilometers, is located on the arabian gulf coast of the uae, between sharjah to the southwest, and ras al-khaimah to the northeast. Its inland border lies about 32 kilometers from the main coastline.
Umm al qaiwain has the smallest population. Fishing is the local population’s primary means of income. Date farming also plays a significant role in the economy. After the union of the emirates in 1971 umm al qaiwain developed into a modern state, and continues to progress under its present ruler, sheikh rashid bin ahmed al mualla.
The city of umm al qaiwain, capital of the emirate, is situated on a narrow peninsula which encircles a large creek 1 kilometer wide by 5 kilometers long. The ruler’s office, administrative and commercial centers, the main port and a mari culture research centre where prawns and fish are reared on an experimental basis, are located here. The city also has the preserved remains of an old fort, its main gate flanked by defensive cannons. Falaj al-mualla, an attractive natural oasis, is located 50 kilometers southeast of umm al qaiwain city. Sin ayah island, lying a short distance offshore has important mangrove areas together with a breeding colony of socotra cormorants.
Ras Al Khaimah:
Ras al khaimah, the most northerly emirate, is ruled by another branch of the al qasimi family. It covers an area of 1,700 square kilometers which is equivalent to 2.2 per cent of the country’s total area, excluding islands. Ras al khaimah, the most northerly emirate on the uae’s west coast, has a coastline of about 64 kilometers on the arabian gulf, backed by a fertile hinterland, with a separate enclave in the heart of thehajarmountainsto the southeast. Both parts of the emirate share borders with the sultanate of oman.
The city ofras al khaimahis divided into two sections by khor ras al khaimah. In the western section, known as old ras al khaimah, are ras al khaimah national museum and a number of government departments. The eastern part, known as al nakheel, houses the ruler’s office, several government departments and commercial companies. The two sections are connected by a large bridge built across the khor.
Thanks to the run-off water from thehajarmountains, ras al khaimah has a unique abundance of flora, so it is no surprise that agriculture is important to the local economy. The emirate also benefits from its stone quarries, and fishing, which is plentiful in the rich waters of the gulf. The city ofras al khaimah, situated on an inlet, has a rich history. It was renowned for its prosperous port and for its exquisite pearls, which were famous as being the whitest and roundest available anywhere.
Khor khuwayr is an industrial region situated approximately 25 kilometres to the north of ras al khaimah city. Digdagga district, on the other hand, is a well-known agricultural area and houses the julphar pharmaceutical factory, the largest in thearabian gulf.
Fujairah:
The only emirate without a coastline on the arabian gulf isfujairah, which is ruled by the al sharqi family. Situated along the coast of thegulfofoman,fujairahcovers about 1,300 square kilometers which is equivalent to 1.5 per cent of the country’s total area, excluding islands.
Fujairah city, the capital of the emirate, is a rapidly developing centre which contains the ruler’s office, government departments, many commercial companies and a number of hotels, as well as an airport and theportoffujairah, one of the world’s top oil bunkering ports.
Unlike other emirates, where the desert forms a large part of the terrain, mountains and plains are its predominant features. Attractions include some excellent diving sites, the natural beauty of the mountains and coastline, cultural and historic attractions and, of course, reliable winter sunshine.
Fujairah’s economy is based on fishing and agriculture. Like ras al khaimah, the land in fujairah is irrigated by rainwater from thehajarmountains, making it ideal for farming. Sheikh hamad bin mohammed al sharqi is the present ruler.
The historic town ofdibbaal-fujairah, at the northern end of the emirate, is an important centre for both agriculture and fishing, while thevillageofbidiyahas a unique four-domed mosque that is the oldest in the country.
Airport:
Dubai airport currently has three passenger terminals. Terminals 1 and 3 are directly connected with a common transit area, with airside passengers being able to move freely between the terminals without going through immigration, whilst terminal 2 is built on the opposite end of the airport. For transiting passengers, a shuttle service runs between the terminals, with a journey time of around 20 minutes from terminal 2 to terminal 1, and 30 minutes to terminal 3. Situated beside terminal 2 is the executive flights terminal, which has its own check-in facilities for premium passengers and where transportation to aircraft in any of the other terminals is by personal buggy.
Terminals 1 and 3 cater to international passengers, whilst terminal 2 is for budget passengers and passengers flying to the sub-continent and persian gulf region; terminals 1 and 3 handle 90% of the travellers; and the executive flights terminal are for the higher end travellers and important guests.
Terminal 1:
Terminal 1 has an overall capacity of 30 million passengers. It is used by 75 airlines and is connected to concourse 1, the so-called, 1 km (0.62 mi) long sheikh rashid terminal by an underground, 300 m (980 ft) long tunnel.
Terminal 1 offers 221 check in counters, with a separate section for first and business class passengers.in arrivals there are 40 passport control desks and 14 baggage claim belts the terminal was originally built to handle 21 million passengers, however with the extreme over congestion at the terminal, the airport was forced to expand the terminal to 30 million with the opening of 28 remote gates, 9 million. Over the years, more mobile gates were added to the airport bringing the total as of 2010 to 48. Concourse 1, part of terminal 1, was opened in 2000 and it used to be the main concourse at dubai international before concourse 2 in terminal 3 opened. It incorporates over 60 gates, including 32 air bridges and 48 remote gates located at a lower level of the terminal. The gates are labelled 101 – 150 in terminal 1.
The concourse includes over 25 food and beverage cafes and restaurants, with the food court being located on the departures level. Also located in the concourse is a 78 deluxe 5 star hotel with 6 junior suites and 2 royal suites, a business centre, a health club, a 5,400 m2 (58,000 sq ft) duty-free shopping facility. Other facilities include prayer rooms, and a medical centre.[81] emirates continues to maintain a presence in concourse 1, operating 12 gates there as well as the emirates first class and business class lounges at the terminal.[82] other airline lounges include the gulf air, british airways, klm and the star alliance have their own dedicated lounges.
Terminal 2:
Terminal 2 was built in 1998 and has a capacity of 5 million as of 2009, after several, decent reconstructions. It is mainly used by smaller airlines operating in the persian gulf region. Most flights operate to iran, pakistan, and afghanistan. The terminal was also being expanded as in recent years it has become extremely congested and overcrowded, used by approximately 26 airlines and offering 36 check in counters. Terminal 2 has undergone a major refurbishment recently, extending check-in and boarding facilities, changing the interior and exterior décor and offering more dining choices to passengers. Capacity was increased to 5 million, 2 million.[85] the terminal has now increased the number of facilities available to passengers. Check-in counters have increased to 36. The boarding area is more spacious, with more natural light. Also the new open boarding gates allow several flights to board simultaneously, improving passenger and aircraft movements. In june 2011, the airport authorities were beginning to expand terminal 2, and involved a new check-in hall and departure area, and possibly extending the terminal building. The main hall include a check-in area, an immigration section, management offices, and a departure facility.
Terminal 3:
It was built at a cost of us$4.5 billion, exclusively for emirates and will have a capacity of 43 million passengers once fully complete. The terminal will have 5 airbus a380 gates at concourse 2, and will have 18 at concourse 3.
Terminal 3 is the largest building in the world by floor space, with over 1,500,000 m2 (370 acres) of space, currently capable of handling 27 million passengers in a year. Once fully operational, terminal 3 will have an annual capacity of 43 million passengers. A large part is located under the taxiway area and is directly connected to concourse 2: the departure and arrival halls in the new structure are 10 m (33 ft) beneath the airport’s apron. It is operational since 14 october, 2008, opened in four phases to avoid collapse of baggage handling and other it systems. Inside terminal 3, there are 82 moving walkways, 97 escalators, 8 sky trains (4 each at arrivals and departures), 157 elevators, and 27 truck lifts.
The building includes a multi level underground structure, first and business class lounges, restaurants, 180 check-in counters and 2,600 car-parking spaces. The terminal offers more than double the previous retail area of concourse 1, by adding about 4,800 m2 (52,000 sq ft) and concourse 2’s 10,700 m2 (115,000 sq ft) of shopping facilities. The baggage handling system – largest system and also the deepest in the world – has a capacity to handle 8,000 bags per hour. The system includes 21 screening injection points, 49 make-up carousals, 90 km of conveyor belts capable of handling 15,000 items per hour at a speed of 27kmh, and 4,500 early baggage storage positions.
In departures there are 126 check-in counters for economy class passengers, and 36 for first and business class passengers. Also, there are 18 self service kiosks, 3 lounges for unaccompanied minors, and 38 counters and 12 e-gates for economy class passengers and 10 counters and 4 e-gates for first & business class at immigration. In arrivals, the terminal contains 52 immigration counters, 14 baggage carousels, and 12 e-gates (electronic passport control system) used at all entry point into the united arab emirates. There is also 4 baggage carousels for oversized luggage.
Buses :
Dubai, abu dhabi and al ain have public bus transportation system. The buses are air-conditioned, with a separate area for women and men. It is relatively easy to find your way around with a tourist map and you’ll find that routes are generally posted in english as well as in arabic. There isn’t a standard fare system and you’ll pay up to aed4 for a journey, although a short trip should only cost you as little as aed1.
Taxis:
The best means of getting round in the uae is by taxi. Taxis will take you within an emirate or from emirate to emirate, if you have the money. In the uae, taxis are only allowed to take you from the emirate their vehicle is registered in, to any destination you wish to go but by law can’t bring you back. It means a cab registered indubai, can take you fromdubaito sharjah but can’t pick you up in sharjah and brings you todubai. It is a strange system, as taxis have to go back to their emirate empty after they drop someone somewhere. The main disadvantage is for the customers, as the taxi fares would be much less if taxis could take people from anywhere to anywhere. The most popular taxi stand indubaiis the deira taxi stand.dubai’s cream coloured cabs are widely available throughout the city and can either be hailed on the street or pre-booked.
Fare: minimum cost of taxi is 4 dirham.
Cars: Car rentaldubaiis an integral part of touring at dubai emirates. There are a number of rental car service providers operating indubai. Car rentaldubaiis a most convenient way to explore the city-dubai, and surrounding, beach, dessert and mountain resorts. Car rentals in dubai does not engage hazardous enquiries and too many paper works rather it is one of the best and easiest means of dubai sight-seeing.
Metro:
Indubai, metro had started for their local transportation. It is a rapid transit type of transportation. The red line metro had already been started in sep2009. Ten of the red line’s 29 stops will be available from september 10 (official opening ceremony september 9): nakheel harbour & tower, mall of the emirates, financial centre, al jafiliya, khalid bin al waleed,union square, al rigga, deira city centre, airport t3 and rashidiya terminal.
The green line metro is still under construction. The 19 stops that are not opening today should all be operating by february next year. Then, in june 2010, the green line – stretching from jadaf on the creek to al qusais – should open. The red line is also going to be extended, taking it to the jebel ali/abu dhabi border. In 2012 the purple line will linkdubaiinternationalairportand al maktoum international airport in jebel ali (which should open june 2010). There are plans for a blue line to serve the two airports alongemirates roadand even a yellow line, but it’s unknown where this will run. Every stop will be served by buses, abras or water taxis, all with air-conditioned waiting areas. The whole caboodle should be in business by 2015.
Note: You cannot eat on metro; you will get fined dhs100 for eating on a metro train.
Tickets:
Tickets cost between aed 2 – aed 12. You will need to buy rechargeable cards that you may buy from vending machines available at each station. There are four cards:
Silver – aed 20 (for frequent travelers)
Blue – aed 70 (with extra features like personalized, online services etc.)
Gold – aed 20 (access to leather seats, carpeted gold class)
Red – costs aed 2
Timing:
From 6am-11pm, saturday to thursday, and from 2pm-midnight on fridays.
During peak hours they will run every three minutes and 45 seconds, although initially the frequency will be every 10 minutes.
Monorail:
A delegation from the dubai roads and transport authority (rta) also conducted an inspection, riding the monorail from the gateway station at the trunk of the palm jumeirah to the atlantis aquaventure station on route you will a spectacular view of palm jumeirah. The distance of 5.45 km was covered in eight minutes. The monorail will halt at two more stations, the trump international hotel and the palm mall. The tram services will, additionally, facilitate a link with the red line of dubai metro.
Abra Services In Dubai :
Abra services in dubai are regularly used by locals and tourists alike. Abras are small motorboats that have been an integral part of the history of dubai. The most prominent traditional modes of transportation in dubai, abras are operated on the fascinating dubai creek.
Station: creek park station, public library station
Crossing the creek dhs. 1 per passenger
Wonder bus:
Wonder bus tours is another dubai city bus touring company, which was established in 2002 with a 44-seater bus manufactured in the united states. The air-conditioned bus is spacious with a large tv screen, an internal bathroom and refreshments are served during the tour of dubai. The unique experience about riding this bus is that the tour of dubai takes you around dubai and also takes you on water, up and down the dubai creek. For safety measures, a life jacket is found under each seat and the bus has an automatic fire extinguishing system.
The tour starts from the bur juman shopping center and takes a round of sheikh khalifa road, al wasl bridge, wafi city centre, and al boom restaurant before splashing into the dubai creek. The tour continues up and the down the dubai creek before getting back on land, which then takes you past the creek park, dubai courts, al maktoum bridge, sheikha maryam’s palace and then along seef road and sheikh khalifa road before returning to burjuman centre.
The tour lasts for 2 hours and operates twice a day (11am and 4pm), departing from the bur juman shopping mall. Passengers need to arrive at least 20 minutes before departure
Open Top Bus:
The big bus aims to give you the most enjoyable and memorable experience of your life indubai. From the towering sail-shaped burj al arab hotel to the mysterious gold and spice souks, what better way to seedubai’s breathtaking views? So, hop onto the big red double decker bus for a quick tour ofdubai’s main attractions starting and finishing atwaficity.
Open top bus tours take in all ofdubai’s main sights from the city to the beaches including stunning views of dubai creek and thearabian gulf.
City Tour (Red Route):
• Wafi city
• Karama
• Creek walk and danat dubai berth
• Al fahidi fort (dubaimuseum)
• 5.dubaiold souk
• Sheikh saeed al maktoum house
• Gold souk (arabian walk finishes)
• Abra station
• deiracitycentre
• Al boom tourist village and wonderland
• Beach Tour (Blue Route):
• Deira city centre
• Wafi city
• Jumeriah beach park
• Jumeriah public beach
• Souk madinat jumeriah
• Meridien mina seyahi
• Royal meridien hotel
• Oasis beach hotel
• Hilton jumirah beach
• Sheraton beach hotel
• Mall of the emirates
• Mercato mall
• Jumeirah mosque
Dubai Big Bus Hop-On/Hop-Off Tour:
Discoverdubaion this fun and leisurely hop-on, hop-off tour. Your double-decker ticket is valid for 24 hours enabling you to discover this amazing city of contrasts at your own pace
Palm Island – The Modern Wonders:
The palm islands are artificial islands in dubai, united arab emirates on which major commercial and residential infrastructure will be constructed. They are being constructed by nakheel properties, a property developer in the united arab emirates, who hired belgian and dutch dredging and marine contractor jan de nul and van oord, some of the world’s specialists in land reclamation. The islands are the palm jumeirah, the palm jebel ali and the palm deira. 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 will add 520 kilometres of beaches to the city of dubai. The creation of the palm jumeirah began in june 2001. Shortly after, the palm jebel ali was announced and reclamation work began. The palm deira, which is planned to have a surface area of 46.35 square kilometres, was announced for development in october 2004. Construction was originally planned to take 10-15 years.
The concept the date palm tree has special local historical significance as a major source of food and is known in arabic as ‘bride of the orchard’. The shape contains excellent geometry to create maximum beach frontage. Its visual identity has already won the prestigious american corporate identity award.a view from space due to its immense scale and unique shape, the palm jumeirah is visible from space with the naked eye.
The Vision Of Palm:
Many know palm jumeirah as an international icon, but few realize it was created help solvedubai’s beach shortage. The ruler of dubai drew a sketch of a palm tree, realizing its fronds would provide more beach frontage than a traditional circular island. From this insight, the idea of palm jumeirah was born and the trilogy of islands envisioned
The Palm Jumeirah:
Jumeirah is in the shape of a palm tree. It consists of a trunk, a crown with 16 fronds, and a surrounding crescent island that forms an 11 kilometre long breakwater. The island is 5 kilometres by 5 kilometres and its total area is larger than 800 football pitches. The crown is connected to the mainland by a 300-metre bridge and the crescent is connected to the top of the palm by a subsea tunnel. Over the next few years, as the tourism phases develop, the palm jumeirah is touted as soon to be one of the world’s premier resorts. The palm island is the self-declared ‘eighth wonder of the world’. The island will double the length of the dubai coastline.
According to the developer’s publicity material, the jumeirah palm island will feature themed boutique hotels, three types of villas (signature villas, garden homes and canal cove town homes), shoreline apartment buildings, beaches, marinas, restaurants, cafés and a variety of retail outlets. Over 30 beachfront hotels,
Including:
• The trump international hotel & tower
• Atlantis, the palm
• The taj exotica hotel & resort
• Palm grandeur
• Ottoman palace.
• Essque palm jumeirah – part of the tiara residence project. The residence has been handed over. Oceana resort & spa
• The fairmont palm residence
• The fairmont palm hotel & resort, fairmont hotels and resorts
• The dubai estates hotel & park
• Hotel missoni dubai
• Radisson sas hotel dubai, the palm jumeirah
• Kempinski emerald palace
• Kempinski emerald palace residences
Palm jumeirah has everything you need to enjoy a wonderful holiday break. World famous hotel names, amazing tourist attractions, luxury fashion and shopping malls are starting to open up. Whether you just want to relax or immerse yourself in an exciting world of leisure and entertainment, this is a truly inspirational holiday destination.
Key Facts:
• 94 Million Cubic Meters Of Sand And 7 Million Tonnes Of Rock Have Been Used To Build The Island
• The Amount Of Material Used Could Create A 2 Meter High And Half Meter Wide Wall That Would Circle The Globe Three Times.
• The Island Includes The First Ever Curved Breakwater
• This Is The First Time Such A Complex Shape Has Been Created Through Land Reclamation
• A six-lane sub-sea tunnel has been built to connect the spine to the crescent. The tunnel is 1.4km long 40m wide and 25m below sea level to allow 10m for boats to navigate above.
• The Palm Golden Mile Residence, Opening In 2008, Will Be Home To More Than 700 Apartments, Ranging From One Bedroom Apartments Cost Around 2,39,000 $ To Penthouses Cost Around 8,19,000 $ And Town Homes, All Housed In Waterfront Buildings.