For the tourist, traveling around in an unfamiliar place can be and exciting undertaking, and at the same time a stressful one. If you have your own transport, even of the most basic sort, you will certainly find it a much more convenient way to get around. If you are planning a visit to Dubai, and you do intend to drive yourself around, then you would be well advised to become familiar with the local traffic rules first, so that you don’t find yourself in trouble with the local people as well as the law.

Car accident related deaths in Dubai, especially on the highways, are amongst the highest anywhere. One of the reasons behind this stastic is the large number of expensive luxury cars here, whose owners love to drive them fast.

Traffic regulations in Dubai have attempted to respond to this heavy road toll by increasing their penalties. Some of these regulations are as follows:

* Drink driving carries a fine of 20,000 Dhs and a year in prison, as a minimum.
* Hit-and-run drivers face the same penalty.
* Driving without a license, or driving in an unlicensed vehicle, carries a minimum penalty of 500 Dhs together with three months in prison.
* The owner of a car who allows an unlicensed driver to drive it faces a penalty also.
* ‘Unlicensed’ includes tourists who do not have a United Arab Emirates driving license, even though they may be licensed to drive in their own country.
* Petrol stations do not accept credit card payment.
* The speed limit of 60 kph is strictly enforced by the use of radar guns by Dubai police.
* A Dubai driving license can be obtained by a holder of a foreign license, however this requires the driver taking a minimum of 21 driving lessons and passing a driving test.

Other points to note about driving a car in Dubai

* Cars in Dubai are left hand drive and drivers must keep to the right hand side of the road.
* Hitting a camel is considered to be the fault of the driver; camels are not often seen in the city, as they are no longer standard means of transportation there, but as they do not understand traffic rules, and can move quite fast and unexpectedly when they are found in city streets, they are considered a hazard. As well as the danger involved, there is also expense, owing to the damage to the car and to the camel. You will need to compensate the camel’s owner for any injury to the animal. Take special care when driving around anywhere where there could be camels, therefore.

So if you are planning a visit to Dubai, and on driving yourself around by car, ensure that you understand the regulations and take plenty of care, and you should have no trouble at all.

Planning on going on a vacation? Consider Dubai. Experience its year-long cultural extravaganzas, spectacular sights and endless shopping possibilities. Dubai is part of the United Arab Emirates on the coast of the Persian Gulf, and is considered the gateway to the Middle Eastern culture. Unlike most Muslim countries there, Dubai is open to the Western world and is thus rather tolerant of outside influences. To a visiting tourist, this translates to a view of Arab culture without losing touch with the familiar amenities of the West.

Dubai’s development in the recent decades has been so spectacular that your best companion in exploring the emirate is a map. With it you can roam around the city and surroundings free from the fetters of a conducted tour, at the same time feeling the excitement of adventure and discovery. While a simple map may not show the interesting sites beyond the general lay-out of the city, there is always the Internet to guide you where to go

And in Dubai there is almost an unending parade of what to see and visit. There is the enclosed winter wonderland where you can -incredibly– ski on real snow; the desert where you can go on an exploration safari on four-wheel-drive vehicles; there are the man-made islands shaped like palms when viewed from the air, or the sail-shaped Dubai Tower, erstwhile the highest building in the world.

Dining in the Sundowner Dune will also show you the pride and heritage of Dubai via the superb cultural performances presented almost all the time, and of course there are the endlessly sunny sandy beaches where you can frolic and sunbathe without fear. All resorts are easily reachable from hotels famous for luxurious accommodations and impeccable service.

Best of all is the shopping. Dubai as the crossroads of Western and Arab worlds in the Peninsula is also a melting pot of many cultures and peoples. Europeans, Asians, Africans, Slavics and Hispanics plus a lot more mix and mingle in Dubai in work and play, creating a plethora of influences and interests business and enterprise quickly took advantage of. Dubai therefore has virtually all the products of the Middle Eastern, Asian and Western cultures, ranging from handcarved ivory figures to luxury cars, from jeweled ceremonial swords and daggers to clothes as fashionable as Paris and New York, from exotic Asian foods to Mediterranean olives, spices and even wines. There is, naturally, the gold jewelry crafted in the traditional methods as well as pearls from the Gulf, collected by divers who did the trade through generations. Dubai is known as the shopping paradise in the Middle East.

So you want to go on a vacation? Try Dubai, and enjoy the excitement of exploring new sights and doing things infinitely different from the ordinary. Visit a place where winter and summer coexist at the same time; where the sun, sand and sea are always present to cater to your whims; where luxury and service is standard, and where shopping goes beyond pleasure, to nirvana. A Dubai vacation is something unforgettable: it is golden adventure.

When you are out with your significant other, chances are you prefer to go somewhere a little secluded so that there’s little to distract the two of you. At the same time, you also do not want to be too far from your comfort zone. Enchanting Dubai can give you the best of both worlds – a quiet place and lots of personal space combined with great amenities and all the creature comforts you could imagine.

Feast Your Eyes on Dubai

Of all the member territories of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai is the most progressive and technologically advanced. Any aerial photograph of the main city center will give you a great view of the numerous skyscrapers and big buildings there. Despite all the modern features of Dubai, it still features a significant amount of culture and history. Many travel writers have cited Dubai for its perfect harmony of modern and traditional.

This means that your vacation in Dubai with your loved one will be anything but boring. You could be at a souk (market) one day picking out carved wooden Arabian chests one day and then sipping a latte at Starbucks the next. It’s almost impossible to have a dull time in Dubai because there’ll always be something new to do and see.

The Tourist-Friendly City

Tourism is very big on the agenda of the government in Dubai. In fact, a good number of major international hotel chains have also put up accommodations in the city. With names like Hyatt, Hilton and Intercontinental to choose from, you and your significant other won’t be short of a romantic retreat once the day is done.

Five-star hotels are not the only Western-style amenities you’ll find there. Aside from the many souks and bazaars that you’ll find throughout Dubai, over three dozen malls open their luxurious, air-conditioned interiors to tens of millions of shoppers every year. And because there are no taxes in Dubai, even high-end brands are sold for much, much less there.

A City with Culture

Culture buff couples will surely get a kick out of Dubai. Scattered throughout and around the central Dubai area are numerous historical, cultural and heritage sites. You and your loved one will probably need more than a couple of days just to go and see it all. Mosques, markets and forts – prepare your camera because there’ll be a lot of things that you’ll want to capture and remember.

In fact, you can still see much of old Dubai in the modern one. The souks you’ll find there looked the same way hundreds of years ago. You can hop on an abra and cross the waters in and around Dubai like how countless Emiratis have been doing it for centuries. If not for the shopping and amazing sites, then you must simply visit Dubai for the richness of its culture and history.

Dressing for Dubai

Female visitors must be warned, however, that many people in Dubai take their Muslim faith seriously. Although women aren’t necessarily required to wear the traditional full-length burqa, proper dress must be observed at all times. That means at the very least covered shoulders, no plunging necklines and skirts that hit below the knee. Revealing clothes are obviously out of the question, and that goes for guys too.

Dubai is an amazing destination, regardless of what you are looking for. Having a special someone there with you will just make the trip all the more memorable.

The World Renown Mall of the Emirates

The Mall of the Emirates has over 200 stores, movie theaters, restaurants, cafes, and the world’s first indoor ski center. Of the two hundred stores, many are upscale luxury boutiques though there is no shortage of popular chain stores. As if that were not enough, the attached Kempinski Hotel contains even more restaurants as well as bars. There is a souvenir shop that sits on top, selling oriental as well as Arabian items that are handmade by the surrounding community of talented artists and jewelry makers.

The Deira City Center

The Deira City Center is another popular mall in Dubai. It also contains several restaurants and cafes as well as movie theaters and shops. Deira City Center features the Virgin Megastore, Zara and many other top brand stores. There is a huge Arabian Treasures department for those looking for souvenirs. The Sofitel Hotel is attached to the Deira City Center. It has even more restaurants as well as some bars for those who like to have a drink or two before retiring for the evening.

The Souk Madinat Jumeirah on Jumeirah Street

Souk Madinat Jumeirah was built with tourism in mind. Customized for those with discriminating tastes and a considerable amount of money to spend, this mall contains several stores, small cafes, large and small restaurants, bars, a nightclub and a cinema. Although outfitted with the latest technology such as air conditioning, the Souk Madinat Jumeirah resembles traditional souqs and is a pleasure-filled stroll for locals and tourists alike.

Something for Everyone at the Jumeirah Town Center

While not exclusively dedicated to the female gender, the Jumeirah Town Center is THE place for the modern woman who has beauty and fashion on her mind. Ladies can relax while getting a wax and manicure and purchase high quality products for the skin on their way out. There are health restaurants, sushi restaurants and other venues for delicious dining in the Jumeirah Town Center. This mall is filled with wide open space and evokes a feeling of tranquility in those who shop there.

The Ibn Battuta – A Celebration of Ethnic Diversity

The Ibn Battuta represents six different countries in its shops, cafes, restaurants and exhibits. Andalusia, Persia, China, Egypt, and Tunisia are all culturally represented in this popular mall. The scholar feels right at home in the Ibn Battuta mall because of its focus on astronomy, invention and literature. The House of Prose is a second-hand bookstore and is the perfect place for those who wish to get away by “getting away”.

If money is a concern for you, there are “Carrefours” available in most Dubai malls. “Carrefours” are chain stores that sell everything from groceries to electronics. Think of it as Dubai’s answer to the U.S.’s Wal-Mart. If shopping is your idea of a great vacation, you may want to purchase a map and plot out a plan for visiting all the malls in Dubai. There is so much to see and do in Dubai – the malls are just the tip of the iceberg.

In Dubai there are all kinds of regulations about the drinking and serving of alcohol. An establishment must have and display a permit, in order to be allowed to serve alcohol. Without this permit no establishment is allowed to sell alcohol, to either tourists or residents. Failure to observe this government imposed rule is punishable by law.

The night life in Dubai is very popular with visitors from overseas, and this means that lots of tourists enter establishments and expect alcohol to be on sale there, only to find when they are there that this is not necessarily the case. Many such establishments do not, in fact, sell alcoholic beverages at all.

The rules concerning the sale and drinking of alcohol in Dubai, however, are as follows:

1. Permits must be obtained & displayed in order for alcohol to be sold in an establishment; legal consequences apply for non-adherence to this rule.

2. During Dubai’s religious holidays, alcohol is not permitted to be sold or imbibed. This includes daytime hours during Ramadan, and applies to Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

3. You are not permitted to drink alcohol in public places, and drink driving is not tolerated at all. If you are involved in a car accident and found to have been driving under the influence of alcohol, the penalty by law is a fine and at least a month in jail.

4. Supermarkets sell non-alcoholic beverages, but they do not sell alcohol; it is only sold by licensed outlets, and the licensing of these is administered by the government, which ensures the establishment’s adherence to Dubai’s policies regarding alcohol.

5. Customers in licensed bars must carry identification cards which prove that they are allowed to drink alcohol. People who are below 21 years of age are considered to be minors and are not permitted to go into bars.

Alcohol is widely available to non-Muslims in Dubai’s bars and hotels; some of the clubs and bars in Dubai which serve alcohol are listed below.

Clubs

* The Planetarium is popular for its London style
* Ramada Hotel and Scream are warehouse style clubs where you can listen to the latest in music
* Astoria Hotel has a restaurant and live bands, and offers a variety of music styles

Bars

* Hilton Dubai Creek’s rooftop swimming pool has a small bar from where you can admire Dubai’s beautiful sunsets
* The Park Hyatt’s Terrace Bar allows fine dining whilst listening to light music
* The Jumeirah Beach Complex’s 360 Degrees, with an open bar from which you can enjoy amazing views of the beach hotel
* Burj Al Arab’s Sky View bar has local and international bands; it is in high demand and advance reservations are essential in order to obtain a seat

If you are on vacation in Dubai and plan to go out to a club or bar, it is advisable to carry identification as a non-Muslim with you.

Places like Florida, Hawaii and even the Caribbean are some of the more typical vacation spots. Going there would mean that you’d get the exact same holiday as millions of other people have before you. If you want a vacation destination that’s totally unique and fun, book a plane ticket for Dubai.

The Dubai of the Future

Pleasure-seekers and investors alike love Dubai because it’s a city that has stepped well into the 21st century. High-rise buildings tower all over the central main district. A brand new rail system will begin running by 2009. Big hotel chains like Hyatt, Hilton and Intercontinental have all set up operations there. In fact, if not for the desert setting and the palm trees, Dubai doesn’t look very different from European capitals like Paris.

A Shopping Mecca

Shopaholics from all over the world make a constant beeline for Dubai, and it’s not just because of the month-long Dubai Shopping Festival that has become an annual event. The government of the emirate implements special no-tax policies just for Dubai. That’s how the Dubai Shopping Festival makes good on its promise of the best brands at the lowest prices; you won’t have to pay tariffs on anything you find there.

And the fun doesn’t just stop with the more than 40 malls dotted around Dubai. Souks – traditional Arabian markets – are still regular landmarks throughout the city. If you plan to go to the malls for high-end goods and brand names, the souks are also worth a visit for the old world goods and exotic items for sale there. From spices by the kilo or rare carved Arabian chest, your souvenirs will definitely be unique relics from Dubai.

Whether you’re eyeing that cheap Chanel bag or practicing your haggling skills for the market, prepare your wallet. You’ll have a hard time finding something that you won’t want to buy. After you’re done shopping, you could even pick up some treats from Starbucks or Cinnabon, just like you would have done back home.

Lots to See

Once you’ve satisfied your shopping list (or maxed out your credit cards), you may want to begin going around and seeing the rest of the city. Dubai is one area that has managed to achieve what few have successfully done: merge their modern image with their culture and heritage. Countless historical sites are scattered in and around Dubai, preserved to look like how they might have several hundred years ago.

Checking out Khor Dubai (Dubai Creek) is a great start. Lining the Creek are numerous wind towers from old Dubai, great examples of the exquisite Arabian architecture. Once you’ve gotten that first taste, head over to the 18th century Al Fahidi fort, which was converted into the Dubai Museum in 1971. It contains piles upon piles of artifacts from Old Dubaito give you a serious blast from the past.

Most other vacation destinations are only either staunchly traditional or uncompromisingly modern. Dubai is an exceptional city because it manages to blend both into a vacation experience that’s unlike any other.

The revamped Dubai may be young but it is full of everything tourists want from a great vacation. The finest shops and restaurants line streets of Dubai and there are so many things to do that a week or two will not be enough to get to them all. Dubai has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

Ride the Dunes

If you have ever taken a ride in a dune buggy, you have experienced a small taste of what is awaiting you in the desert of Dubai. When you get in an SUV driven by a specially trained desert driver, you are embarking on the experience of a lifetime. Dune bashing, or riding up and down the dunes at high speed for several hours and then ending the evening with dinner and dancing is the perfect way to combine adventure and romance. If dinner and music is not to your to your liking, you may continue to ride the dunes well into the evening. Dune bashing is a favorite attraction in Dubai.

Ski the Great Indoors

Who ever would have thought there would be skiing in Dubai? Who ever would have thought there would be skiing anywhere that is located inside a building? But there is and it is a fabulous experience. The Mall of Emirates contains one of the largest ski centers and rents out all the equipment you need. The temperature in the ski area is -4 degrees Celsius – enough to keep the snow from melting and the fun from ending. As if that were not enough, a new indoor ski center opens up this year — the Dubai Sunny Mountain Ski Dome in Dubailand.

From Snow to Sand – Dubai’s Beaches

If warm sand, water and beaches are more to your liking, Dubai offers unbelievable beaches. The water temperatures average 22 degrees Celsius in the winter and 35 in the summer. Be sure to use sunscreen when spending time on Dubai’s beautiful beaches. If diving is on your mind, Fujairah, Sharjah and Khor Fakkan are less than two hours away. Dive the coral reefs and spend time mingling with the marine life living off the coast of Dubai.

Cruise the Creek

Shipping once defined the very existence of Dubai. Ports that once served African, Indian and Middle Eastern trading ships are now viewable from a fascinating cruise down Dubai Creek. It is not just the ports that are interesting. The Dubai Creek Cruise will take you past numerous historical buildings that go back hundreds of years.

Sand Golfing

Don’t let a lack of green grass stop you from enjoying a round of golf. Dubai thumbs its nose at convention and offers tourists the chance to play golf in the sand. Other golf courses penalize for balls that land in the sand. Here, landing in sand is par for the course – so to speak.

Up, Up and Away in a Beautiful Balloon

Who hasn’t dreamed of taking a ride in a hot air balloon? A sunrise or sunset ride through the skies above the mountains and deserts of Dubai can be a dream come true. After a day of fun, experience beautiful Dubai from the skies.

Many expatriates are attracted to Dubai by the cheap oil and gold to be found there. There is more to be found in Dubai, however, in the form of potentially life-changing job opportunities. As Dubai’s economy expands, many sectors have turned to inviting professionals from overseas to fill job positions. Securing a job in Dubai ensures that you will have a comfortable life, along with the many other perks of living there.

Dubai offers a large variety of jobs that one can apply for. Salaries run in the range of 500Dhs to 100,000Dhs. Listed below are several types of job currently available in Dubai that may interest you.

Doctors

Most foreign doctors can expect salaries that range from 20,000Dhs to 50,000Dhs. The exact amount of salary received, however, will depend on the particular hospital or clinic where the doctor decides to work.

Manual labor

This is one of the most physically demanding jobs available, and yet basic salaries are only between 600Dhs to 1000Dhs monthly. Most of the workers found in this sector hail from Asian countries or countries such as India and Pakistan. Construction workers are sometimes monthly salaries of only 370Dhs.

House partners

House partners are those people hired by a household to maintain both the physical integrity of the house and the lifestyle of its family. Drivers, maids, security guards, nannies and gardeners make up some of the people included in this category. Such jobs mostly have 7 day work weeks, and yet have salaries roughly equal to those in the construction sector. You should be aware, however, that Indonesian and Filipino maids must be paid at least 700Dhs each month, as stipulated in the accords signed by the respective governments.

Receptionists and secretaries

People in these positions generally earn 3,000 to 6,000Dhs per month, although working hours tend to be long. If you are fortunate enough to be promoted to the position of personal assistant to the boss, then your salary could potentially reach 10,000Dhs per month. Your chances of securing such a job are higher if you are fluent in both the English and Arabic languages.

Professionals

The category of Professionals includes teachers, lawyers, pilots, architects and accountants. Most people in such positions come from around the world, and command a higher salary than those in other jobs. Professionals earn salaries that range from 3,000 to 35,000Dhs. All things considered, 35,000Dhs is not a bad salary at all.

Taxi drivers

Transportation providers generally earn a daily wage of 300Dhs for an 8-hour working day. Their actual salary, however, is usually lower as they only receive a portion of the stated amount. Income for drivers is therefore usually between 1,000 to 3,000Dhs per month.

The government of Dubai has not instituted a minimum wage, and salaries vary according to the demand for people in a particular profession. One advantage of working in Dubai, however, is that one may receive benefits that include housing and transport allowances, a personal car, medical insurance, or even airline tickets for flights back to your home country.

Finally, Dubai is also a tax-free city. At the present moment, people need not pay income taxes at all. While there is some talk of income taxes being put in place, it is unlikely that this will take place anytime soon. You will, however, still be required to pay taxes that in place in your country.

In the decades after the first oil crunch of 1973, when the Arab world took different directions of development as a result of vastly improved oil revenues, Dubai opened itself to the cultural influences of the West. In consequence, Dubai became an amalgam of things Western in a Middle Eastern setting and background, a hodge-podge of Eastern and Western cultures. It is familiarly westernized, yet retains that delightfully quaint Mideast color and flavor. It is homogenous in its diversity, rather like an arabesque of harmonious colors, or the short skirt and the abayah coexisting in a symbiotic relationship.

As illustration, Dubai as a Muslim country celebrates Eid al Fitr, the last day of Ramadan, as a joyous occasion, but also welcomes the Dubai Shopping Festival that attracts more than four million visitors annually, with almost equal importance. During the festival, just exploring the giant malls like the Mall of the Emirates, BurJuman, the Ibn Battuta Mall and the Deira City Center can exhaust one’s energies in a week, but will certainly increase the appetite to shop for the myriad items of every form and value. The Dubai Summer Surprises, an event of entertainments, is as valued as the National Day, anniversary of the establishment of the United Arab Emirates to which Dubai belongs.

Dubai’s laissez-faire attitude towards life is exemplified by its cuisine. There is of course the Arabian food, which is famous and well-liked, and can be found in small cafes as well as luxury restaurants in many large hotels, which of course, will offer European, American and some Asian food as well. Arabian cuisine has a good following on top of ‘first-timer’ tourists sampling the preparations. What is significant is that Chinese cooking is also very popular, and so does the fast-food -or ready-to-eat- style of dining, in the emirate and city. This indicates cosmopolitan tastes in the locals as well as visitors.

Pork is not very welcome to the locals but is available to outsiders and tourists under certain terms and in specific places. So is alcohol, but to imbibe wines or liquor, a permit must be obtained from the authorities. Night clubs, bars and discos are mostly located inside the larger hotels due to the liquor restrictions. There are -and must be-limits, for after all, Dubai is still Arabian and Muslim.

For entertainment, Hollywood and Bollywood are both very much accepted; the annual Dubai International Film Festival enticing film personalities from the West to interact in a pleasant atmosphere with celebrities from the Arab world. For music, Santana, Celine Dion, Elton John, Phil Collins, Aerosmith, Diana Haddad and some others have performed in Dubai, aside from several metal and rock artists who performed during the Dubai Rock Festival.

Cricket and football are the most popular sports in Dubai, and that bespeaks of Continental influence. Tennis and golf are also played extensively, sometimes by world-famous figures.

So it is very reasonable for the New York Times, in a recent survey, to name Dubai as one most popular travel destination for 2008. Go to Dubai and see why it is very much justified.