Dubai is the capitalist jewel in the Middle East that is replete with all sorts of activities- just perfect for your next vacation. There is hardly any other place where you can spend a holiday that blends sand dunes and the rich Arabic culture with exclusive five star hotels overseeing heavenly beaches and the warm blue waters of the Arabian Gulf. If you are still not satisfied, you can shop to your heart’s content at the forty shopping malls. There are many tourists who plan their vacation in line with the dates of the extravagant Dubai Shopping Festival for more discounts on gold, watches, electronic items, clothing and Persian carpets.

Dubai is separated by a long creek and hence a water taxi is good to take you around the city so that you can delight yourself with the modern and palatial architecture found typically in an Arab state. Dubai is easily accessible as it lies on the cross-roads of Europe, Asia and Africa. Mostly you can take a direct flight to Dubai from the major cities. There are over 80 airlines that operate from Dubai International Airport that reach 130 destinations, so you need not worry about getting to Dubai.

Dubai is abundant with excellent hotels. After all, the 7-star Hotel Burj Al Arab can be found only in Dubai. It houses an underground restaurant, a helipad and lots of mind boggling amenities ideal for a king. If you don’t have that kind of money, there is a variety of deluxe 5 star hotels, and 2-star, 3-star and 4-star hotels. Dubai is a compact city and has well-maintained roads and infrastructure. The taxis are highly affordable as petrol costs lesser than a bottle of mineral water!

Dubai has a wonderful stretch of beaches and you can as well stay in a beach-front hotel. These hotels have all the modern amenities suited for business and pleasure purposes. Most of the hotels on the Jumeirah Beach are only twenty minutes away from the city center. This way you can have a relaxed and peaceful stay and go around the city whenever you wish to!

Dubai has lots of historical attractions like the Bastakiya district, Grand Mosque, the Juma Al-Majid Cultural and Heritage Center, the Dubai Heritage Village, the Tower of Arabs and Majil’s Gallery. Make it a point to enjoy the world’s richest horserace known as the Dubai World Cup at Nad Al-Sheba whenever you visit Dubai!

Though Dubai in itself is a great tourist destination, there are as many attractions close to this dazzling city for visitors. These quality travel spots will make the most of your day trips and Arabian excursions. After you have had your share of touring in Dubai and looking at the tall skyscrapers, a desert safari onboard a 4×4 jeep or better still, a camel safari is worth the effort. The neighboring Sharjah calls for a visit too as not many people are aware of the places to visit here. Of course, the reason also might be that alcohol is banned in Sharjah which is a turn off for lots of tourists.

The capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi is only two hours away from Dubai by road. You can start early in the morning for a day trip, but most probably would like to extend it as one day is not enough for covering all the attractions here. You must visit the market traders in the Old Souq district, exotic animals at the Al Ain zoo, and the reconstructed buildings in the Abu Dhabi Heritage Village, the roller coaster rides at Hili Fun City and the watchtowers of the city’s Eastern Fort.

To the north-east of Dubai lies the small city of Ajman. You can comfortably plan a day trip to Ajman to visit the 16th century fortress that houses a peculiar museum. For beach lovers, the Ajman beach is perfect for getting that tan as well spotting dolphins swimming and jumping in water.

Al Ain lies to the south-east of Dubai and is popularly known as the garden city. It has numerous date-palm gardens, a historical fortress and mosque and lots of museums. Then you can also go to the colorful camel and livestock market or souq, the Al Jimi Shopping Mall, the Arabia Center and the Jebel Hafeet, known to be the UAE’s second-tallest mountain.

The East Coast faces the picturesque Indian Ocean and is considered the best location around Dubai for a pleasant stay. This area is dotted with beaches, rocky plains and sandy desert areas. The Dibba town on the East Coast has a fantastic bay where you can enjoy your holiday at the Le Meridien Al-Aqah Beach Resort. You can try scuba driving and snorkeling at the Snoopy Island if you wish to talk to the fishes. Could you wish for anything else?

Dubai is undoubtedly the city of shopping malls, beaches and vacation homes too. It has affordable public transport and you can even continue driving your car due to the cheap petrol costs. Those tourists who have visited Dubai during the shopping festival or even otherwise make it a point to visit Dubai once again. Some of them love the city so much that they even think of buying a house in Dubai for staying in the vacation. Moreover, you can reach Dubai conveniently by taking a direct flight from any major city in the world. This is one more reason why Dubai is a popular choice for owning a vacation home for many.

Real estate experts say that though the property market has seen a downfall in the Western nations, Dubai is still a hot property destination in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai is famous for its traditional Arab architecture. You have to see it to believe it. Dubai is undoubtedly one amongst the world’s fast growing and most prosperous cities. That is why property investors are viewing it as a viable option for their next purchase. There has also been a welcome change in the policy for sale of property to foreign nationals that makes the process simpler. This is good news for those staying outside the United Arab Emirates as they can now invest safely in a Dubai vacation home.

If you are wondering what kind of homes can be offered for a property buyer in Dubai there is such a lot of variety that can leave you confused. There are luxurious villas and residential complexes aplenty in the city and its surrounding areas. You can choose to buy an apartment in a tall skyscraper too. There are several websites of real estate firms that deal in Dubai properties. They can help you to zero in on the kind of property you are looking for in the locality you wish and also fit it within your budget.

Dubai boasts some of the most radical and out-of-this-world architectural wonders in this world. The Palm Dubai housing project is a striking example of this. It consists of three huge man-made islands in different stages of completion that are constructed in the shape of palm trees. You can rent or buy property on these islands. Dubai is the perfect blend of an old and new world with mosques and wind towers on one end and world-class shopping malls on the other.

Dubai should be truly called the wonderland of the UAE. It has everything right from shopping to night life to restaurants to museums to golf courses to beaches for the tourist. While we all may have heard of the Dubai Shopping Festival, many of us are not aware that it also hosts the Dubai Food Festival each year. Now this is obvious as shopping and eating go hand in hand. So why would Dubai leave its tourists and shopping enthusiasts hungry, isn’t it?

Dubai Food Festival mainly concentrates on local and regional produce. It is held for about 15 days every year around the time Dubai Shopping Festival is on. The food festival celebrates the best of the regional and world food with food markets, cookery workshops, tastings and dinners. It is the perfect place to go after a hard day at shopping as the events start from early evening and continue till midnight.

This food festival was started in 2006 as a part of the Dubai Shopping Festival. The market stalls provide food that you can buy or choose to consume there. A wide variety of food products such as cheese, olive-oils, preserves, jams, squashes, chutneys, pickles and many more exotic food items are offered for sale. Those yearning for local street food can go in for roasts or paella. Restaurants also set up street side cafes especially for the festival to dish up delicacies from all over UAE.

In 2009, the Dubai Food Festival was planned with the ‘eco-friendly’ theme in mind and the organizers called it –Better Food, Less Waste. The aim was to educate the visitors about different methods in which they could reduce the waste food and packaging. This effort needs to be appreciated as a step towards conserving the environment. The star of the show was the attempt to break the Guinness World Record by creating the largest Dessert Buffet of 2009 varying desserts. This was done in collaboration with the Emirates Culinary Guild.

The highlights of the festival were sampling Sundays, buffet Tuesdays, live cooking tents, food market, the demonstration area and the much-liked competitions held annually for young chefs. There is one more event known as ‘friends of the festival’. Anybody from a housewife to a budding chef can display their culinary skills on this platform. The good news is that restaurants are not allowed here. Isn’t that a good reason for you to visit Dubai Food Festival next year?

When we talk about Dubai, the first thing that comes to our mind is the towering buildings, hotels and shopping malls. Over the years, Dubai has also developed as a major destination for students all over the world. The Dubai Knowledge Village (DKV) was launched in 2003. It has been responsible for popularizing the Middle East as a center for learning excellence.

It has a one kilometer long scenic campus that offers very conducive atmosphere for different knowledge-based organizations such as training centers and learning support bodies. The Dubai Knowledge Village was started in order to encourage the growth of the regional talent and speed up its position into a knowledge-based economical world.

Anybody who wishes to be a DKV knowledge partner is offered 100% foreign ownership, 100% tax freedom, 100% repatriation of assets and profits and convenient visa issuance formalities. The Dubai Knowledge Village has more than 350 such partners that comprise of training centers, professional centers and HR companies. The DKV is the only Free Zone on this earth that is completely dedicated to professional training and learning support services.

The campus of Dubai Knowledge Village provides high-class amenities to make the knowledge partners and their students feel comfortable. To list a few, the DKV boasts of beautiful landscapes, food court, sports ground and a fully equipped gymnasium. Its knowledge partners consist of varied nationalities like Australians, Indians, Pakistanis, Iranians, Russians, Belgians, English and Irish too. Besides this, Dubai is strategically placed on the world map so that it is easily reachable from any major airport in the world.

Dubai Knowledge Village offers important business, legal and technical services to help its business partners manage and run their business in a hassle-free way. These services are aimed at ensuring a smooth experience for the business partners. The DKV provides the latest, adjustable, fully serviced office space that is designed to meet the growing requirements of educational centers. It also provides a fully developed infrastructure and world-class technologies.

Other than that, the DKV also helps out with hospitality services that create an impression on visitors, event management services, government operation services, incorporation services, the HSSE (Health, Safety, Security and Environment) services along with the KV business and conference facilities. This goes to show that Dubai is indeed keen on making a mark for itself on the educational front too in the whole world after being known as the City of Gold.

When you are visiting a foreign country as a tourist or simply moving there for a new job it is imperative that you learn the basics about the culture and heritage of that place. This way you will know what to expect from the locals and avoid any embarrassment for yourself too. In Dubai, etiquette holds a lot of importance so understanding their customs is necessary.

The culture in Dubai or UAE is founded on the religion of Islam. The UAE nationals are known to have some traditions that vary from the other Arabs. In Dubai, you will find friendly, highly educated and English speaking people. They are open-minded and readily accept western expatriates and foreigners. Remember that they do not approve of kissing in public and talking anything against Islam. The Dubai residents are hospitable to the core, so remember not to refuse any refreshment offered to you. Usually sweet black tea with fresh mint, small glasses of aromatic coffee, fruit juice or water are served.

Dubai was previously a little fishing village. It grew a lot in the beginning of the 19th century when flocks of the Bani Yas tribe settled down here. The sea was the only source of livelihood for them. The sea gave the people fish, pearls and business. This small settlement transformed into a minor trading port around the creek’s mouth. Dubai is lucky to be situated in the middle of the Far East and Europe. More than 120 shipping lines and 100 airlines join over 140 destinations around the world. This has helped Dubai’s trade to a great extent.

The official language of Dubai is Arabic, but there is no need to worry as English, Hindi, Persian and Urdu are also spoken here. A majority of the residents are Sunni Muslims. Dubai is unique to house Hindu temples and a Sikh Gurdwara. Women are highly respected here. However, do not expect a Muslim woman to shake hands freely with men as it is considered abnormal.

One more thing to be remembered while in Dubai is that you must remove your shoes before entering anybody’s house. That is why maintaining clean feet and wearing good socks helps. Also, avoid picking up food with your left hand as it is viewed as disrespect to the Islam religion. The Dubai locals will always treat you with courtesy as they consider their guests to be a form of god.

While Dubai is the premier holiday and shopping destination for many, those who move to Dubai for a job and have a family with kids need to know the education system there. There is a rapid rise in the population of such expats in Dubai and hence you will find considerable investment being made in the field of education. The UAE provides a wide-ranging education to all children right from preschools to university. This education is free of cost to the citizens of UAE for all levels. Besides this private educational institutes are also present in the UAE.

It has been noticed that ninety-five percent of all girls and eighty percent of boys who are admitted to the final year of secondary schools also enroll themselves for admission to a higher education institute in the UAE or travel abroad for the same. The United Arab Emirates University based in Al Ain is still the country’s foremost national institute for higher education. You will also find the Zayed University that has a campus in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. It was founded in 1998 by the Federal Government to provide education to the female citizens and develop them to mix with the society.

If you are looking for a technically inclined education, the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) have 12 fully equipped colleges spread throughout the UAE. The HCT has a commercial wing known as Center of Excellence for Applied Research and Training (CERT) that helps out the students with placement. Besides this, there are exclusive private institutions such as the American University of Dubai, Sharjah University and the Ajman University of Science and Technology, close to Dubai. Dubai also proudly houses the Dubai Knowledge Village that has over 100 knowledge partners.

Primary school education is made compulsory for all citizens of UAE. When you plan to admit your child to a school in Dubai/ UAE there are some limitations that you need to know. Firstly you cannot change your child’s school in the middle of an academic year. You will need the approval from the Ministry of Education and only in ‘special’ cases. That is why make efforts to visit the school’s website and read about the curriculum etc before taking admission for your child. One more thing to note is that the academic year starts in September, so enroll your kid just before the new academic year begins to avoid disappointment later.

Golf is one sport that has caught on with the young and old alike all over the world. Dubai is better known as the topmost shopping haven due to its luxurious shopping malls and more prominently, the Dubai Shopping Festival. But there is much more to Dubai than 7 star hotels and tall skyscrapers. Dubai is also a favorite destination for avid golfers for spending a golf vacation with family and friends.

There is a creek that splits Dubai into two. This has resulted in numerous beaches where you can enjoy water sports. Dubai is famous for various attractions and has superb roadways that connect the city to other places around it. Moreover you have a choice of staying in anywhere from a budget hotel to extravagant ones. Not to forget, when you come to Dubai you cannot resist shopping in the gold markets or shopping malls that offer discounts on their products. These are enough reasons to convince your family to come along with you to Dubai for a golf vacation.

While you go teeing off on the desert golf courses of Dubai, your family is not bored and they can enjoy themselves too. Dubai has a sunny climate all through the year and this is one more reason why golfers prefer to go there for a vacation. The Emirates Golf Club has been voted Golf Club of the Year 2009 Middle East Golfer Awards. This club is home to Dubai’s two finest golf courses- the Majlis and the Faldo. Besides this, it has a 9-hole Par 3 course, golf academy, restaurants, bars and a swimming pool too. The Emirates Golf Club also hosts the Dubai Desert Classic and Dubai Ladies Masters tournaments sanctioned by the PGA European Tour.

The Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club ranks among the world’s ‘Top 100 Must-Play Golf Courses’. It is a sprawling resort that consists of an 18-hole championship golf course, the 225-bedroom Park Hyatt Dubai, 92 executive residential villas and a 121-berth marina besides the usual restaurants, gymnasium and tropical swimming pool. Any golfer would be delighted and eager to play on such world-class golf courses. The best thing about them is that they are maintained so well in spite of the scarce rains and dry climate in Dubai. Everything you need for a pleasant stay is offered in Dubai. So book your tee times online for your next Dubai golf vacation now!

Dubai can be called the Mecca of shoppers worldwide. It has managed to be one of the favorite shopping hot spots for tourists since several years. Thousands of shopaholics throng the city during the huge Dubai Shopping Festival or “Layali Dubai” as it is known in Arabic every year. What began as an attempt to promote Dubai trade in 1996 has grown to be an annual shopping, entertainment and cultural show for people around the globe. You will find great discounts on a wide range of everyday use items in this festival. There is a myriad range of products from jewelry to fashionable clothing, electrical goods and lovely carpets.

It is surprising to know that in spite of recession, there were 3.2 million visitors who spent a total of around Dh 10 billion in the Shopping Festival held in 2009 from 15 January to 15 February. It is not that Dubai has visitors only during this festival as it is famous as a shopping paradise in the whole world. The difference during the Dubai Shopping Festival is that shoppers can have the experience of shopping from more than 2,300 retail outlets that market all the things you could imagine. These outlets offer gold, perfume, haute couture, cars, electronic items, handicrafts and textiles too.

Besides this yearly lavish affair, you have a choice of shopping from any of the 40 shopping malls. Dubai boasts of housing the Mall of the Emirates that is said to be the largest outside North America. Other than that, tourists can feast their eyes by having a look at the numerous gold souks that display a variety of jewelry items. Dubai is rightly called the ‘City of Gold’ just because of this. Then there are the traditional Arabic souks or markets that have the best textiles, fragrant spices, Arabic pottery and wooden furniture.

An additional benefit of visiting Dubai during the Shopping Festival is that important shopping malls host low price and promotional offers for the tourists. The Wafi Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Deira City Center, Bur Jurman, IBN Battuta Mall and the recently opened Dubai Mall that is located close to the world’s tallest tower, the Burj Dubai are some prominent malls in Dubai. Don’t forget to visit the Carpet Oasis that showcases beautiful carpets from every nation under one roof. Nobody leaves empty handed when he leaves Dubai for sure- there is something for everybody!

A chronological study of Dubai history reveals the fact that it was only in January 1971 that Dubai inscribed their own stamps under the name “Trucial States”. Visit Dubai’s museums where the history of the postal administration is on display.

Way back in August 1909 an Indian Branch Post Office was opened and Dubai used the facilities. It is interesting to note that surface mail was first carried by ships, then later on by airways to and from Dubai. The post mark was Dubai Persian Gulf but the stamps were from India. When India got it’s independence in 1947, Dubai switched over to Pakistani stamps for a year. Till 1971 the British Government used overprinted British stamps and set up a Postal Administration for East Arabian countries. From June 14, 1963 the Dubai Post Department issued a series of stamps and took over the postal department. Dubai travel then saw Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s photograph printed on the stamps as also some pictures of the sea and different views of Dubai. Once they realized that colored pictures of Dubai was getting them money, they began printing a large amount of stamps with different hues and colors. Dubai tours brought in a lot of stamp collectors who gathered at auctions to buy and sell stamps in different denominations and First day covers.

By the middle of 1972 the Emirates were formed and Dubai had issued over 400 stamps but they were not necessarily used for postage but became a collector’s item. Regular auctions and international exhibitions are conducted as stamp collector’s from all over the world display their collections both rare and new and the postal history of each country is displayed. The more antique the stamp the more priced it is. Travel Dubai and combine business with leisure as you enhance your stamp collection.