Dubai and Abu Dhabi are a stirring alchemy of profound traditions and ambitious futuristic vision.
Epic History
Some 800 members of the Bani Yas tribe, led by the Maktoum Family, settled at the mouth of the creek in 1833. The creek was a natural harbour and Dubai soon became a center for the fishing, pearling and sea trade. By the turn of the 20th century Dubai was a successful port. The souk (Arabic for market) on the Deira side of the creek was the largest on the coast with 350 shops and a steady throng of visitors and businessmen. By the 1930s Dubai's population was nearly 20,000, a quarter of whom were expatriates. In the 1950s the creek began to silt, a result perhaps of the increasing number of ships that used it. The late Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, decided to have the waterway dredged. It was an ambitious, costly, and visionary project. The move resulted in increased volumes of cargo handling in Dubai. Ultimately it strengthened Dubai's position as a major trading and re-export hub. When oil was discovered in 1966, Sheikh Rashid utilized the oil revenues to spur infrastructure development in Dubai. Schools, hospitals, roads, a modern telecommunications network … the pace of development was frenetic. A new port and terminal building were built at Dubai International Airport. A runway extension that could accommodate any type of aircraft was implemented. The largest man-made harbor in the world was constructed at Jebel Ali, and a free zone was created around the port. Dubai's formula for development was becoming evident to everyone – visionary leadership, high-quality infrastructure, an expatriate-friendly environment, zero tax on personal and corporate income and low import duties. The result was that Dubai quickly became a business and tourism hub for a region that stretches from Egypt to the Indian sub-continent and from South Africa to what are now called the CIS countries. Since the 1960s, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, then ruler of Abu Dhabi, and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum had dreamed of creating a federation of the Emirates in the region. Their dreams were realized in 1971 when Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and (in 1972) Ras Al Khaimah, joined to create the United Arab Emirates. Under the late Sheikh Zayed, the first President of UAE, the UAE has developed into one of the richest countries in the world with a per capita GDP in excess of US$17,000 per annum.
Food
Dubai has been world famous for its luxury life style, vibrant night life, and world class leisure and entertainment spots. Tax free shopping and indoor/outdoor adventure activities, theme parks and the allure of staying in luxury hotel, villa and resort, dining in restaurants and pubs that serving traditional and international cuisines have greatly enhance Emirate’s image as travel destination. Although, food of Dubai is not considered as the primary reason for its popularity, but one can’t ignore that tourists and visitors can’t help eating as food is the basic need for survival. Despite all of its progress in other sectors, Dubai is also striving to become culinary capital in the region of Middle East. The diverse Muslim city is also getting famous day by day for proffering delightfully tasty food from Arabian and international origins. Like the cosmopolitan culture of this city, the food of Dubai also encompasses tempting food recipes from Italy, China, Mexico, Pakistan, India and Lebanon. In other words you can say the multi-ethnic culture of Dubai can be clearly observed in Dubai’s food. The availability of delicious food across the world adds up more value to the city and played major role in fostering Emirate’s image among best travel destinations that are capable to offer diverse range of tasty food to satisfy taste buds of tourists coming across the world. In addition to offering a wide range of international cuisines, Dubai is also known for its traditional food. Most of the local recipes are made with fish, meat (lamb, camel) and rice. Traditional recipes of Dubai have been served across the city in dining outlets like food courts, hotels, restaurants and road side dining shops. Below I am sharing few famous traditional food of Dubai that I will suggest you must try.
Cultural Depth
The first human settlement in the history of Dubai was in approximately 3000 BC,when the area was inhabited by nomadic cattle herders. In the 3rd century AD, the area came under the control of the Sassanid Empire which lasted until the 7th century, when the Umayyad Caliphate took control and introduced Islam to the area. The area was sustained by fishing and pearl diving for a thousand years, with the first records of the town being made in 1799 when the Bani Yas clan established it as a dependency of Abu Dhabi.Dubai became a separate Sheikhdom in 1833, when the Al Maktoum dynasty of the Bani Yas clan (initially from Abu Dhabi) took it over peacefully. The invention of artificial pearls in 1926 and the Great Depression in 1929 caused a collapse in the international pearl market, which resulted in Sheikh Saeed looking for an alternative source of income and Dubai becoming one of the leading re-export ports in the world. In 1966, oil was discovered in Dubai, which changed the country beyond recognition and led to Dubai becoming the vibrant, modern, business-centred city-state it is today.
Why I Love Egypt
By Andrea Schulte-Peevers, Author: Ever since first setting foot in this tiny power-house emirate back in 2007, Dubai has fascinated me with its energy, optimism and openness towards people from all over the world. I'm a die-hard foodie, so the staggering variety of authentic global fare is exhilarating, and even the shopping here – which I normally consider a chore – is actually a joy. Dubai is a place that's constantly in flux and it's been exciting to see it grow and mature as a city and as a society. I can't wait to see what the future holds.
Landscapes & Activities
With Emiratis making up only a fraction of the population, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are bustling microcosms peacefully shared by cultures from all corners of the world. This diversity perfumes the culinary landscape and expresses itself in fashion, music and performance. Although rooted in Islamic tradition, this is an open society where it’s easy for newcomers and visitors to connect with myriad experiences, be it eating like a Bedouin, dancing on the beach, shopping for local art or riding a camel in the desert.