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HISTORY Traditional activities included herding sheep and goats, cultivating dates, fishing and pearling, but the inhabitants built up trade UAEinfo too. By the turn of the century, Dubai was reputed to have the largest souqs on the Gulf coast, with 350 shops in the Deira district alone. Commercial success allied to the liberal attitudes of Dubai's rulers made the emirate attractive to traders from India and Iran, who began to settle in the growing town. But, while trade developed, Dubai remained politically a protectorate of Britain as part of the Trucial States extending along the northern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. On the British withdrawal in 1971, Dubai came together with Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and (in 1972) Ras Al Khaimah to create the federation of the United Arab Emirates. This was shortly after the discovery of oil in 1966, which was soon to transform the emirate and its way of life. Dubai's first oil exports in 1969 were followed by a period of rapid development that laid the foundations for today's modern society. Much of the credit for this development can be traced to the vision of the late Ruler, HH Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, who ensured that Dubai's oil revenues, despite being relatively modest by the standards of the region, were deployed to maximum effect. His work has been continued by the present Ruler, HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, and his brothers, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry, and General
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence. The result is that Dubai is constantly building up its infrastructure of transport facilities, schools, hospitals, tourism developments and other amenities of an advanced society. The UAE has a sub-tropical, arid climate. Rainfall is infrequent and irregular. Falling mainly in winter, it amounts to some 13 centimetres a year. From the timeless tranquillity of the desert to the lively bustle of the souq, Dubai offers a kaleidoscope of attractions for visitors. The emirate embraces a wide variety of scenery in a very small area. In a single day, the tourist can experience everything from rugged mountains and awe-inspiring sand dunes to sandy beaches and lush green parks, from dusty villages to luxurious residential districts and from ancient houses with windtowers to ultra-modern shopping malls. But these contrasts give Dubai its unique flavour and personality; a cosmopolitan society with an international lifestyle, yet with a culture deeply rooted in the Islamic traditions of Arabia. Since earliest times, Dubai has been a meeting place, bringing together the Bedouin of the desert interior with the pearl-diver, the merchant of the city with the sea-going fisherman. Having expanded along both banks of the Creek, Dubai's central business district is divided into two parts - Deira on the northern side and Bur Dubai to the south - connected by a tunnel and two bridges. Each has its share of fine mosques and busy souqs, of public buildings, shopping malls, hotels, office towers, banks, hospitals, schools, apartments and villas. Outside this core, the city extends to the neighbouring emirate of Sharjah to the north, while extending south and west in a long ribbon of development alongside the Gulf, through the districts of Satwa, Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim. At first glance, the city presents a predominantly modern face, an ever-changing skyline of new developments, from striking glass-and-concrete towers to gracious modern buildings incorporating traditional Arabian architectural motifs and features. Dubai's cosmopolitan flavour is matched by the city's many restaurants and entertainment venues, which provide a truly international array of choices for the visitor. Hotels offer a remarkably diverse range of food and beverage outlets, partly because they serve not only their own guests but also attract large numbers of local residents. Their restaurants cover everything from coffee shops to fine dining and speciality outlets. The standard of service is on a par with the best in the world. The night life is equally varied, with many bars, pubs, discos and nightclubs open until the wee hours of the morning. Outside the hotels, small eating places are to be found in all parts of the city including Deira, Bur Dubai, Satwa and Jumeirah. While restaurants located outside hotel and club premises are not permitted to serve Dubai Zoo is the oldest zoo of its kind not only in the United Arab Emirates but also in the Arabian Peninsula. Dubai Zoo also happens to be the first Arabian zoo to breed the rare Chimpanzee and Arabian wild cat. It is a special place of interest and fun for tourists and the people of Dubai. H. H. Sheikh Rashid bin Maktoum, the late Ruler of Dubai, permitted Otto J. Bulart to build the Zoo on a two hectacre plot in Jumeirah. The Dubai Zoo became a landmark as it indicated the "town's end". During the first couple of years of its existence, the Dubai Zoo housed only a few animals like the big cats, monkeys and hoofed-animals. There was also a small aquarium with some fishes and reptiles. In 1971, the management of the Dubai Zoo was taken over by the Dubai Municipality. From May 1986 to May 1989, a part of the Zoo was redesigned and rebuilt. From June 1989 to the present there is constant re-designing and renovation. One of Dubai's greatest visitor attractions is its superb shopping. The city draws large numbers of "shopping tourists" from countries within the region and from as far afield as Eastern Europe, Africa and the Indian Subcontinent. As an open port with low import duties, Dubai's retail prices are reasonable and the variety of products available is virtually unrivalled. Free of tax, many top brand-name products are cheaper in Dubai than in the countries of their origin. Whatever the visitor's tastes - be it couture from Paris or Milan, hi-tech electronics from Japan, or a piece of silver Bedouin jewellery - he or she will find it at the right price in Dubai. In addition to the souq districts and shopping malls listed below, there are many top-class department stores and boutiques throughout the city. Dubai offers incentive travel organizers a destination which is new and different, combining variety and excitement with professional destination management services and top-quality hotels. Dubai's unique attraction is that it brings together in a single, accessible location the highest standards of comfort and convenience with the adventure of Arabia - from the bustling souqs to the majestic desert. An exotic destination with a cosmopolitan lifestyle, Dubai has the right mix to make it the ideal solution for the incentive travel planner. The second-largest of the seven emirates which make up the United Arab Emirates, Dubai is located on the southern shore of the Arabian Gulf. It has an area of some 3,900 square kilometres. Outside the city itself, the emirate is sparsely inhabited and characterised by desert landscape. Oil contributes just 15 per cent of economic production. Trading, manufacturing and services - including tourism - now dominate the economy. The UAE is four hours ahead of GMT. The population of Dubai was estimated at 971,000 in 2001. (Source: Ministry of Planning).
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