Brief History
Dubai’s early history is traced back by archeologists to some 5,000 years to a community established on the old trade routes from Oman to Yemen in the south and the advanced civilizations of the Euphrates and Tigris areas of the north. Recent development of the city began in 1833, when a segment of the Bani Yas family belonging to Abu Dhabi, led by Sbaid bin Said Al-Maktoum, came from Abu Dhabi for settling in Dubai. This small community of 800 people were drawn by the Creek and lived by pearl and fish trading, tending of date groves and camel and goat farming. Their modest existence laid the base for the commercial development of Dubai and the city’s evolvement as a famous entrepot port of today.
Traditional Culture and Lifestyle
During your Dubai travel you’ll notice that a pleasant and relaxed lifestyle can be enjoyed by visitors and expats in Dubai. The climate is pleasant for most part of the year, there are no crimes and the villas, apartments and houses are clean and spacious. Many societies and clubs can be seen during Dubai travel. Freedom of worship is given to all religions. Many churches can be seen during your visit to Dubai. Magazines, foreign newspapers, videos and films are easily available.
While visiting UAE, you’ll see that the cultural identity is a rich mix of traditional Islamic, Arab, and contemporary elements. Following the availability of increased educational opportunities and foundation of the state, public and private libraries and cultural centers are increasingly seen around the country which can be visited during your travel to Dubai. These help to spread cultural awareness and help in the preservation of the country’s rich heritage.
The Islamic traditions of Asia helps shape Dubai’s culture. Islam rules over all aspects of life, including clothing, drink and food. Hospitality and courtesy are highly valued virtues and tourists find the locals truly warm and genuine. Dubai and the entire UAE is a tolerant place. It gives freedom to foreigners to practise their own religion and the dress code in Dubai is is fairly liberal. The place’s official language is Arabic, however Urdu, English, and Hindi are largely spoken. All restaurant menus, tourist information and road and shop signs are both in Englihs and Arabic.
Clothing
Men have to wear light trousers, short or long sleeved shirts and ties to office. For meetings and formal visits to Government offices, jackets are worn. For ladies, long sleeved blouse and skirt or other normal smart office wear is suggested other than the national dress. For informal dinners in the evenings, casual evening skirts and dresses are worn. While visiting Dubai, carrying a lot of cotton outfits are recommended as summer is very hot here.
Jewellery Occupation and trade
In 2006, Dubai gold imports were worth $14.75 billion which is expected to become double as retail trade is expected to reach around $3 billion. In the third quarter of 2007, Gold trade through Dubai reached $5.23 billion which was an increase of 55% compared to the same period in 2006.
While visiting Dubai, you’ll see that it is a superb place for shopping that hundreds of people annually to its gold souks and ultra-modern shopping malls. The jewellery market of the UAE is the second largest and is worth $6.13 billion, next only to Saudi Arabia.
Popular sports
While traveling to Dubai, you’ll notice that it is a place of deserts and the sports that are being played here are horse and camel racing. Since those days, the UAE has come a long way and more number of sports activities are becoming popular among its residents. You can notice the love for sports among people of Dubai during your Dubai travel.
Horse racing is a very popular game in Dubai and those interested can take lessons and find the necessary equipment available. The Equestrian Clubs in Dubai offer facilities for horse racing. In the morning or during weekends, camel racing takes place and is a unique sport which is an important part of the heritage of United Arab Emirates (UAE). Football (soccer) is also a favorite sport in Dubai. As the place’s major population is from the Indian sub-continent, cricket is also getting largely popular and the Sharjah Emirate is famous for the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, which hosts annual matches for the cricket world cup.
Other Sports
Facilities for other sports also exist in Dubai such as archery and shooting, canoeing, rock climbing, bowling, polo, powerboat racing etc.