Dubai: A Real Success Story

By Chris Linch

Dubai has a fascinating story. When the British left in 1971, Dubai became a part of the Federation of United Arab Emirates. Oil was discovered in 1966. Instead of living like a pasha for a few years, until the oil ran out, the then-ruler, Sheik Saeed Al Maktoum decided to invest Dubai's oil resources into building a long term economic future for his people.

He saw that he had a couple of real advantages: the weather is almost always perfect in Dubaiideal for outdoor activities. Dubai is on the seashoreideal for vacationers. The country is located right in the middle of Europe, Asia and Africa. And it is safe. The political turmoil of other Arab countries does not affect Dubai. He recognized that Dubai would be exotic enough for travelers wanted something different, but since he was starting from nothing he could incorporate western comforts. He attracted financing for hotels, shopping extravaganzas, and sports arenas. Developers started designing multi-million dollar vacation homes for celebrity clients.

Sheik al Maktoum has passed away, but his successors have continued his mission. Dubai has developed into an intriguing destination. Famous for its experimental architecture, modern hotels sit against rolling sand dunes and green golf courses. Souks compete for business with shopping malls complete with indoor alpine ski runs. There are Bedouin villages and five-star hotels. Camels walk the beach next to bikini-clad women.Dubai defies easy description..

The city offers a wide variety of dining options and night life. Most dining is offered by the hotels, because the hotels can sell alcohol, while most other restaurants cannot. This is an Islamic country after all. So the hotels serve the locals as well as their guests and they offer service and selection on a world-class level. There are a surprising number of clubs, discos and bars open until late.

Dubai's climate and first-class sporting facilities make it an ideal place to lead an action-packed life or enjoy an energetic holiday. The variety of sports on offer ranges from deep-sea fishing to ice-skating, and from golf on the Middle East's international standard grass courses to sand skiing in the desert.

However, Dubai is not just for the active sportsman. The emirate is also a great place for the sports fan to see top-class spectator events and admire the skills of some of the leading stars and personalities in a wide range of different sports.

Events staged in Dubai are the Desert Classic PGA Golf Tournament, The Dubai Tennis Open, and the Dubai World Cup. And Dubai continues to add to its visibility and list of events each year.

The cosmopolitan atmosphere of Dubai is encapsulated in a range of activities from polo to volleyball, ice-skating to hockey, bowling to darts, chess to show jumping and dressage.

And the traditional sports of Dubai are not forgotten. Camel racing and the annual sailing dhow race draws crowds in the thousands to enjoy the demonstration of an ancient art. And that may be the real appeal of Dubai: A perfect balance of the ancient and the modern.

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