Ten features of Dubai

Ten features of Dubai:

In the past 30 years, Dubai’s urban development has been amazing. Although Dubai was originally a vital commercial port center, it still strives to grow into a modern metropolis and the most luxurious city in the Middle East. Oil revenues from real estate and massive investment have led to the rise of high-rise buildings. The most extravagant construction projects imaginable are rising in this new economic and tourist hotspot (at least when they are completed they will stand on the land). However, in recent years, some strange rumors coexisting with this fascinating city have made people confused. It is worth noting that some of the rumors are fact.

10. Police patrol in sports cars

Dubai’s luxury can always surprise people, even the equipment of the local police can make people stunned. The top fleet of Dubai Police cars include McLaren, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Bentley and Ferrari. As the police chase illegal speeders on the highway, these luxury cars become a beautiful sight among the city's white-collar and green-collar workers. However, the main function of these luxury cars is to serve as a wake-up call to those who are tempted to speed and violate the law. They are usually seen when the police issue parking tickets and patrol other tourist areas where driving violations are less likely to occur.

9. You can buy gold bars from vending machines

Purchasing gold bars from vending machines is the best option for disposable income. This vending machine sells gold items - gold bars, jewelry and customized coins - in exchange for market prices (the machine is equipped with an Internet connection and the price is updated every ten minutes). All gold items are sold with certificates and anti-counterfeit hologram labels, and some are also packaged in beautiful gift boxes. Dubai isn't the only city in the world to have gold vending machines, but these souvenirs adorned with gold leaf always make people feel at home in this glittering city.

8. Economists are skeptical about the city's long-term development

Economists are skeptical about Dubai's prosperity. The city was hit hard by the 2008 recession, and when investors and financial institutions stopped throwing money at real estate projects, most of them stalled. Although construction projects have recovered in recent years, their economic strength has not returned to pre-recession levels, and some say supply and demand in the real estate market are particularly in danger. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum once said a very famous saying - he governed Dubai from 1958 to 1990, a total of 32 years. That sentence is "My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I drove a Mercedes Benz, my son drove a Land Rover, my grandparents should drive "Driving a Land Rover, but he was riding a camel." This sentence refers to the current economic situation of Dubai that is highly dependent on oil and the problems it faces with infrastructure shortages and economic transformation. Unexpectedly, this sentence turned out to be an early warning of the risk of the economic bubble completely exploding in 2008. At that time, Dubai's financial situation was not optimistic. Although Dubai has now reduced its dependence on oil trade, its current economic sources mainly rely on commerce, tourism and other service industries. If Dubai has learned something from the 2008 financial crisis, it will be interesting to watch Dubai's future economic development.

7. Dubai was once home to 25% of the world’s cranes

During the pre-2008 city real estate boom, Dubai was known as the Crane Capital of the World. When construction projects are booming all over Dubai, the sky above the city is filled with huge and towering cranes. Statistics show that approximately 30,000 of the world's 125,000 cranes are located here. This tells us how amazing Dubai's construction projects and expansion were before the financial crisis. After the economic recovery, more projects have been put into construction, and cranes and other construction machines have once again become a sight in Dubai. But whether we can go back to the past when cranes were ubiquitous is a big question mark. .

6. The UAE has a very strict anti-drug law

The UAE has a zero-tolerance attitude towards drugs.

Serious drug trafficking charges can carry the death penalty, and even traces of illegal drugs can lead to years in prison. In fact, the UAE is even considering the presence of drugs in the blood as a reference for drug involvement. Unfortunately, some travelers to Dubai have discovered the hard way how seriously the country takes drug-related crimes. A Swiss traveler was sentenced to four years in prison after police found poppy seeds on his clothes, while a Briton was sentenced to the same sentence after less than 0.003 grams of cannabis was found on the soles of his shoes at Dubai airport. In 2013, three British tourists were pardoned from a four-year sentence after spending three months in a Dubai jail. They claimed they suffered torture, electric shocks and beatings during their sentencing in Dubai.

5. Dubai is building the world's most luxurious amusement park

Disney has been eyeing the growing market in the Middle East for years to develop its own entertainment products, but it announced that it There are no plans to build a theme park in the area. However, Dubai is increasingly frustrated by the fact that Disney has no plans to develop here - the city plans to build its own Dubailand beyond Disneyland. The project started in 2003 but was suspended in 2008 due to the financial crisis. Construction restarted in 2013 and is expected to open in 2020 (the year Dubai will host the World Expo). According to reports, the cost of the project has ballooned to approximately $55 billion. This is not surprising, however, as Dubailand is planned to be twice the size of Walt Disney World Resort and will house multiple themed play areas, retail and entertainment venues, and hotels across its 107 square miles. , sporting event attractions and numerous restaurants.

4. There is a similar seven-star hotel in Dubai

Many people think that the Burj Al Arab in Dubai is the world's first seven-star hotel. However, even if the hotel is indeed one of the most luxurious hotels one can dream of, seven stars is misleading because there is no such thing as seven stars in the hotel star classification system. In this regard, the Burj Al Arab Hotel denied that it had ever claimed to be a seven-star hotel and attributed this statement to a British journalist who stayed at the hotel when it opened in 1998. The reporter, who was impressed by the charm and luxury of the Burj Al Arab, once joked that compared to those five-star hotels, the Burj Al Arab is more like a seven-star hotel. Apparently, this statement has taken hold ever since. In any case, this evaluation is closely related to the daily operations of the hotel. Many people still believe that the luxury of Burj Al Arab hospitality (including gold-plated iPads, caviar masks, Rolls-Royces with chauffeurs, and dedicated servants in every room) is no longer included in the current hotel star classification system. It can be included. So, even if it all started with a slip of the tongue, from a commercial point of view, this slip of the tongue has undoubtedly made Burj Al Arab famous over the years.

3. Dubai will have an underwater hotel

Dubai’s Crystal Palace Hotel (the Hydropolis) will be the world’s first suite-type underwater hotel and will be the The most expensive hotel. The massive hotel will be shaped like a jellyfish, with low-rise suites located 20 meters underwater in the Persian Gulf. The hotel will also have luxurious facilities such as a large banquet hall, cinema, bar and beauty salon. Sadly, like other ambitious projects in Dubai, the Crystal Palace Hotel is still under construction and its future is uncertain. The hotel is currently looking for investors and construction funds so that it can be completed as soon as possible.

2. Dubai is a city with artificial islands

One of the most impressive landmarks in Dubai is the artificial island. It was built by digging sand from the bottom of the Persian Gulf and transporting it by dredgers. The two palm islands are similar in shape to palm trees. They are a real "breathing" attraction of the city and have also created many architectural landmarks. of miracles. Needless to say, they are coveted real estate hotspots and the most popular tourist attractions in Dubai.

1. The height of the Burj Khalifa causes trouble during Ramadan fasting

The Burj Khalifa (Burj Khalifa) is 2,722 feet tall and is the tallest man-made building in the world. The half-mile tower is too tall for habitation, and Muslims living upstairs have to wait longer to break the Ramadan fast because they see the sun longer than at ground level.

Before they are about to break their fast, clerics in Dubai advise Muslims above the 80th floor to wait an extra two minutes and those above the 150th floor to wait an extra three minutes.

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