Onshore Energy Conference — Dubai Onshore Energy Conference — Dubai 01 | Page 42

DISCOVER

DUBAI

Dubai is an increasingly popular holiday destination, and
with its obvious attractions it’s easy to see why, but there is
much more to the spectacular city than just sun and shopping.
Our mini-guide will show you some of its hidden delights.
Written by Andy Bostock

T

he transformation of the city of Dubai
over the last few decades has been
phenomenal – just google ‘Dubai
before and after’ to see this – and
it has gained an international reputation
amongst travellers, famed for its towering
architecture, guaranteed sunshine and worldclass shopping. It is often thought of as the
Las Vegas of the Middle East, an artificial city
that has risen out of the desert sands to cater
to the wealthy. There is some truth in this,
but Dubai has a much richer cultural heritage

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than its American counterpart, and visitors
are often surprised by what they can discover
beneath the glossy exterior it presents.

Blue Seas
Many travellers to Dubai want nothing
more than sun and sand, and why should
you when the sun is almost a certainty and
the sands are pristine white? The public
beach at Jumeira is particularly worthwhile
with its spectacular views of the Burj Al
Arab (the iconic sail-shaped hotel).