Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai is one of the most modern cities in the world; this city was a fishing and pearling village less than 50 years ago. The architecture of its modern buildings and sky scrapers is the finest in the Middle East. Sightseeing within the city center is split mainly between Deira, on the right bank of the Dubai creek and historic Bur Dubai on the other bank. Deira, is home to the best shopping and is the business and commercial centre of the city. Bur Dubai has less of a bustling atmosphere and is home to a number of tourist attractions, including the Dubai Museum, Grand Mosque and Sheikh Saeed Al-Maktoum's House.

Things to see and do

* Bastakiya district
* Sheikh Saeed Al-Maktoum's House
* Jumeirah Mosque
* Bur Dubai Souq
* Excellent Shopping

Cruise Season - Oct - May
Currency - UAE Dirham (Dh)
Language - Arabic
Land Area - 35 km²
Population - 1,000,000
Electricity - 2 vertical square pins and one perpendicular below British style
Time - GMT plus four hours
International Country Telephone Code - +971

Port Location - The government-owned Dubai Cruise Terminal is located at Port Rashid. Jebel Ali Port is located 30km (18.5 miles) to the south of the city center but handles less passenger traffic.

Transport Links - Dubai International Airport (DXB) is the busiest airport in the Middle East. The national carrier is Emirates, which flies to some 45 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, Australia, Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Buses run from Dubai to other parts of the UAE and surrounding countries. Long-distance taxis can take you to any other emirate on a shared or 'engaged' basis and passenger ferries make the 12-hour trip between Sharjah (a 20-minute drive from Dubai) and the port of Bandar-e Abbas in Iran daily.
The older part of Dubai is best seen on foot or there are plenty of taxis and buses.